Judge praises girl for making rapist face justice
Northumbria PoliceA man who ignored a 12-year-old girl's pleas to stop as he raped her has been jailed for nine years.
Cameron Kelsey was 19 when he attacked the girl, who he had met online, at his then home in Wallsend, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
The girl said she felt "disgusted" and it was only as she got older she realised how serious what had happened was. Judge Robert Spragg praised her for reporting Kelsey and said she had probably stopped others being harmed by the rapist.
Kelsey, now 23 and from Sunderland, had denied wrongdoing but was found guilty of two counts of raping a child under 13.
Kelsey befriended the girl on Snapchat with both lying about their age, him saying he was 17 and she claiming to be 15, Spragg said.
Kelsey helped her get cannabis then went on to rape her twice, the second time ignoring her as she told him to stop, the judge said.
In a statement read to the court, the girl said she did not really understand what was happening at the time, adding: "I felt disgusted with myself for letting it happen to me even though I know now it wasn't my fault.
"Afterwards I realised just how bad it was."
Telling the police was a "relief", she said, but going through court proceedings had continually brought the memories up again.
'Very dark place'
The court heard Kelsey had a conviction for possessing and distributing category C indecent images of children, the lowest level of seriousness, from 2019.
He had a troubled childhood and was diagnosed with issues including ADHD, learning disabilities and alcohol fetal syndrome, the judge said.
Spragg said the girl was "in a very dark place" when she met Kelsey and had continued to self-harm afterwards.
"She deserves significant praise for bringing you to justice," the judge told Kelsey, adding: "No doubt in doing so she has protected others.
"She should be very proud of herself."
After concluding Kelsey was dangerous and posed a high risk of serious harm to children, Spragg ordered the rapist to serve an extra four years on extended licence upon the conclusion of his jail term.
Kelsy was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.