AMY MARTIN OF SUTTON RECEIVES SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH UNDERAGE GIRL

In June 2014, Amy Martin, a woman from Sutton, was sentenced to a 15-month prison term, suspended for two years, after admitting to engaging in a secret sexual relationship with a girl under the age of 16. Martin, 21 at the time, pleaded guilty at Nottingham Crown Court to three counts of abuse involving a girl who was 14 and later 15 years old, between January 1 and June 13 of the previous year.

Martin, who resides on Aldgate Close in Bulwell, met the girl at Eastwood Army Cadets, where her father was involved in running the program. Prosecutor Tina Dempster clarified, “There wasn’t an abuse of trust. Martin-Brown wasn’t there in any official capacity, but she did attend sessions and helped out occasionally because of her family’s involvement. Their relationship started after the girl had left the cadets.”

The court was told that the girl was experiencing depression and that Martin-Brown offered her support. Dempster explained, “It became apparent that the girl was struggling with mental-health issues, and around Christmas, Martin-Brown asked her out. The relationship was consensual, and the girl was aware that Martin-Brown was gay.”

The relationship, described as a “true and honest friendship,” evolved into a sexual affair lasting approximately five to six months. The sexual encounters took place at Martin-Brown’s home in Sutton, where she lived with her parents at the time.

Martin-Brown admitted she was aware the girl was underage, noting that she had even baked a cake to celebrate the girl’s 15th birthday. The relationship ended on June 13, when the girl’s parents discovered it and contacted police, the court was told.

Following the breakup, the girl received mental health treatment and appeared happier, according to her parents. However, in a statement read to the court, the girl acknowledged the impact of the relationship, saying, “It’s difficult to say what impact the relationship had on me because I was already depressed. I recognize that what happened was wrong because of our ages. But I knew what was happening, and was never forced to do anything I didn’t want to do.”

Judge John Pini QC addressed Martin-Brown, stating, “Whatever feelings you had, you were 20 years old and she was just a child. You should have known that what you were doing was totally inappropriate.” As part of her sentence, Martin-Brown was also subject to a supervision order for two years and was banned from working with children.