Youth mentor fireman sexually attacked girl

Simon Haynes, who was a retained firefighter at Southam station and an instructor with Warwickshire’s Young Firefighters Association (YFA), was put behind bars for 17 months after being sentenced at Coventry Crown Court.

The 40-year-old, of Coventry, had pleaded guilty to committing the offence last year at an earlier hearing held at Warwick Crown Court.

He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years, made subject to a sexual offences prevention order and was banned from doing any paid or voluntary work which could bring him into contact with children.

Prosecutor Ben Mills said the girl had become the focus of his attention after she had attended a YFA meeting.

Haynes then contacted her through Facebook, from where he also found her mobile phone number, and began to ask if she wanted to do “adult things” with him.

The firefighter, who had pictures of scantily-clad women on his Facebook page, also talked to the girl about her body and asked her to send him a picture of her naked, which she refused to do.

Mr Mills said Haynes began sending suggestive text messages to her, indicating that he wanted to have sex with her and asking her to perform a sex act on him.

The court heard how in October the girl accepted a lift from Haynes and that during the journey, he asked if she would like to meet his “little friend”.

Mr Mills said that once outside her home, Haynes locked the car doors and asked for a kiss. The teenager refused, but he forced himself on her and tried to touch her inappropriately. He also tried to get her to touch him, but she managed to escape. She later told a friend and her mother about the incident and the police were contacted.

Haynes was arrested but denied the offence. Peter Freeman, defending, asked for a community sentence and said: “This is a middle-aged man who lost his head. It should not have started. Fortunately, it was never pursued to the end.”

But Judge Paul Farrer QC told Haynes: “In quite a deliberate and calculated way you targeted her. You set about grooming her and your purpose was to corrupt her. You made contact with her by text and you sexually assaulted her. It only stopped because she resisted you. Your intention was no doubt to go further.”