BENJAMIN GOODRUM CHEATED IN LIVERPOOL WITH REPEATED SEXUAL ABUSE OF A GIRL
A 22-year-old man named Benjamin Goodrum from Seacombe, Liverpool, engaged in a disturbing campaign of grooming and sexual abuse against a young girl.The abuse was carried out after Goodrum groomed her via WhatsApp, where he repeatedly sent inappropriate messages and images.
Prosecutor Ian Harris described the situation, noting that these messages included a request from Goodrum to see a picture of the girl’s bra.
The child's mother eventually discovered the derogatory messages on her daughter's phone, leading her to confront Goodrum.
During the confrontation, Goodrum claimed he had touched her daughter inappropriately on two occasions.
Authorities were alerted and arrested him.
Goodrum admitted to an NHS worker that he had touched the girl "once or twice," but during police interviews, the victim provided more details.
The girl explained that Goodrum had groomed her through text messages for what she described as "a campaign of sexual abuse." He asked her to exchange pictures, and when she refused, he threatened that he would "do stuff" to her if she didn’t comply.
The girl felt as if she was being blackmailed, especially since she believed he wanted to have sex, having previously touched her inappropriately.
Goodrum further demanded naked pictures from her.
He also sent her a photo of his penis and a video of himself performing a sex act, which made her feel "sick." Despite her attempts to ignore him and cease communication, Goodrum persisted, continuing to pester her until he molested and raped her on multiple occasions.
At one point, Goodrum took control of the girl’s phone and deleted some of his messages, but police managed to recover many of them.
Prosecutor Ian Harris mentioned that Goodrum’s messages were "demanding in nature and persistent," and that he used her as a "sexual toy," warning her of consequences if she told anyone.
The girl repeatedly asked him to stop, but Goodrum continued even when she expressed that his actions hurt her and called her derogatory names like "slag." He remained silent during police interviews but later marked on a court form that the abuse "didn’t happen." Notably, Goodrum has no previous convictions.
He pleaded guilty to multiple charges: three counts of rape, three counts of attempted rape, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of sexual assault of a child, four counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual activity with a child.
A psychiatric report indicated that Goodrum did not suffer from any psychiatric illness or disorder, although some signs of ADHD and social difficulties were noted.
The victim’s mother stated that her daughter now experiences flashbacks and nightmares following the trauma.
Defense lawyer Bernice Campbell acknowledged the difficulty of mitigating such horrendous offenses, describing Goodrum's troubled background.
She explained that his parents separated when he was young, his father was absent for long periods and sometimes violent, and he experienced an unhappy childhood.
Goodrum later moved in with his father, who described him as "immature," a view supported by the psychiatric report.
Ms.
Campbell added that Goodrum accepted that what he did was very wrong and believed he was remorseful.
She highlighted that he had no friends, had a mostly online relationship with a woman from America, and expressed that his interests were limited to girls his own age.
She emphasized his regret, telling the court that "he wishes he never did it and he's disgusted about it." She also noted that Goodrum had suffered depression, suicidal thoughts, and engaged in self-harm, along with experiencing stress and anxiety, as well as having an "imaginary friend" during his mid-teen years, indicative of immature behavior.
Although a possible autism diagnosis was mentioned, it had not been formally diagnosed.
Ms.
Campbell further revealed that Goodrum was referred to mental health services as early as 2005 and suffered from issues such as bedwetting and being bullied in school and college.
She stated that upon release from jail, Goodrum intended to move back to his mother’s residence in Margate, Kent, as he had been effectively disowned by his father.
Judge Andrew Menary QC commented on the case, noting that Goodrum’s requests for indecent images, and the explicit images and videos he sent particularly the photo of his genitals and the sex act video were "very upsetting" for the girl.
The judge emphasised that Goodrum repeatedly tried to persuade her to participate in his sexual activities, using her as a "sexual toy".
He highlighted the impact on the girl’s mother, stating that her statement outlined the "understandable impact that this outrageous behaviour has had on her." The judge warned that the profound damage inflicted on the girl could last for years or even her entire life.
He described the harm as "severe," with evidence of planning, grooming, and threats from Goodrum to keep her silent.
