A man who raped and sexually abused a girl under 13 has been jailed for nine years.
Kieran Smith, 22, from Grimsby, was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court on Thursday following a trial at Leeds Crown Court.
Smith was living in Castleford at the time of the offences, which took place between 2022 and 2024.
After the sentencing, Detective Constable Sally Hayward said: “I would not underestimate the difficulties that the victims and their families have experienced during this process. Their strength and bravery ensured that justice was served.”
Smith was found guilty of rape of a girl under 13, penetration of a girl under 13 and causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
In a statement read out in court, the victim’s family said: “We would like to express our deep pride in our brave young girls who came forward to protect others.
“It’s important to acknowledge the impact of your actions and how they affected her life.
“We are relieved to know that you will no longer be able to harm children.”
The family added: “We live in a world where ‘this would never happen to us’ but it did and he ruined our poor girl’s childhood memories.
“Although he has [been given] Although he was sentenced to prison, we felt it would never be enough to make up for what he had done. However, there is some comfort in knowing that this is now public knowledge. “
Hayward added: “Despite the complexity of the investigation and the additional considerations given such a young victim, we have been able to gather evidence to ensure that Smith is swiftly convicted and sentenced for these horrific crimes.”
The officer said she hoped the conclusion of the court case and Smith’s jailing would give the family “some closure, at least in this chapter, as they continue to process and move on with their lives.”
Upon his release from prison, Smith will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order banning him from having unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 18.
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