AARON ABBOTT SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT ON SIX-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN LEEDS AND WAKEFIELD

In January 2015, a disturbing case emerged involving a young girl who was subjected to a heinous sexual assault while in foster care. The incident took place in a foster home located in south Leeds, where the victim, a six-year-old girl, was tragically victimized by Aaron Abbott, who was only 16 years old at the time.

Abbott, now aged 23, was later convicted of the crime and sentenced to nine years in prison at Leeds Crown Court. The court proceedings revealed the horrifying details of the attack, during which Abbott forcibly confined the young girl in a room by blocking the door with a wardrobe. When she attempted to scream for help, he silenced her by pushing socks into her mouth, preventing her from calling out.

Following the assault, Abbott threatened the girl, warning her that he would do the same thing again if she ever disclosed what had happened. The court was informed that the incident was not reported until more than a year later, when the girl confided in a friend, who then encouraged her to speak to a teacher about her ordeal.

The court heard that at the time of the attack, both Abbott and the young girl were in the care of foster parents. The judge, Sally Cahill, QC, emphasized the girl’s vulnerability, stating that she was not receiving the proper care and was isolated within the foster home. The judge remarked, “I am perfectly satisfied from the evidence I have heard that within that foster home she was isolated and was not being given the care that one would hope by the adults.”

Judge Cahill further explained that the girl had no one to turn to when she was assaulted, highlighting her helplessness during the incident. The court also learned that the victim has struggled with emotional trauma since the attack, including self-harm, and continues to find it difficult to come to terms with what happened.

In mitigation, Matthew Harding argued that Abbott was still a child himself when he committed the offence. He described the attack as an isolated incident that had not been repeated and emphasized Abbott’s youth at the time of the offence.

Detective Inspector Lawrence Bone of the Leeds District Safeguarding Unit commented on the case, stating, “Abbott put the victim through an appallingly traumatic ordeal which deeply affected her for many years before she felt able to tell anyone about what he had done. He has now been convicted and received a significant prison sentence.”

He added, “This case once again highlights that the passage of time should be no deterrent to victims coming forward and reporting offences. We have specially trained safeguarding officers who can support them through the investigation and the court process to see the offender brought to justice.”