A pervert who plied a teenage girl with booze and drugs before sexually assaulting hwer has been told he is ‘fortunate not to be going to prison this Christmas’.

Carl Jobson gave the teenage girl cocaine and alcohol before carrying out the attack in the kitchen.

The 33-year-old then offered her £20 to keep her mouth shut about the assaults in the summer of 2018, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Jonathan Walker, prosecuting, said the victim eventually plucked up the courage to report the incident in September 2020.

The judge had heard how had ‘willingly consumed two lines of cocaine and drank some of the alcohol’ before the defendant repeatedly tried to kiss her before trying to force his hand down the front of her trousers.

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In a victim impact statement, the teenager said she no longer felt safe around men and struggled to go out on her own or with friends, but told her abuser that she forgave him.

She added: “I need you to know that I forgive you, but I will never forget what you did to me – I need to forgive so that I can move on.

“I have struggled with life since; I can no longer walk down the street and feel safe.”

Jobson, of Fulbeck Road, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault and one of attempted sexual assault at a property in East Cleveland between July and August 2018.

Tom Mitchell, mitigating, had urged the judge to pass a suspended sentence rather than an immediate, short custodial one so that his client can access support to address his behaviour.

Recorder Benjamin Nolan KC adjourned Jobson’s sentencing hearing last week to give the probation service time to explore alternative options to a custodial sentence.

Returning to court, Jobson was sentenced to a three-year community and ordered to attend 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days as well as a sexual behaviour treatment programme.

The judge said: “Both you and she had taken drink and cocaine, you were in the kitchen where you tried to kiss her and then you tried to put your hand down her trousers before putting it on her bottom.

“It was a spontaneous, unpleasant act but not sustained groping.

“You should consider yourself fortunate not to be going to prison this Christmas but it will not be easy for you as I am adding some requirements to help you address your offending.”

Jobson was also ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

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