CRIMINAL CRAMINGTON: CURTIS NICHOLSON ESCAPES PRISON AFTER GROOMING AND SEXUAL ABUSE OF 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL

In September 2019, a disturbing case unfolded involving Curtis Nicholson, a man from Cramlington, who was convicted of grooming and engaging in sexual activities with a 14-year-old girl. The incident, which took place in various locations including wooded areas and Nicholson's own bedroom, has left the victim and her family devastated and outraged by the court's decision.

According to court proceedings, Nicholson, aged 23 and working as a delivery driver, admitted to five counts of sexual activity with a minor. The court heard that Nicholson had groomed the young girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, through social media platforms. He arranged to meet her and engaged in sexual acts with her on multiple occasions, including four times inside his bedroom and twice outdoors in wooded areas. The court was informed that Nicholson, who was in a relationship at the time, also pressured her into a potential threesome, which she refused.

Prosecutor Matthew Bean explained that Nicholson was aware of the illicit nature of his actions and even instructed the girl to remove him as a Facebook friend, indicating an awareness of the wrongdoing. The girl was subjected to intense emotional pressure, with Nicholson reportedly threatening to kill himself if she did not meet him, a situation that added to her distress and trauma.

The case came to light when someone sent a text message to the victim's mother, revealing that her daughter had been involved in sexual activities with Nicholson. This prompted police intervention, during which the girl disclosed that Nicholson had groomed her online and that their sexual encounters had been unprotected.

The victim expressed her feelings of disappointment and frustration following the court's ruling. She attended the hearing with her family and later voiced her discontent, describing the sentence as a miscarriage of justice. She stated, "I feel like I’ve wasted my time, he has got away with it. I’m disappointed about the sentence, the justice system has totally failed. I would have felt better if he had been locked up. Now he is out he can live his life as if nothing has happened. If he went to jail he would have had to sit with his own thoughts. He can just go about his life now. I feel it’s no punishment. I wasn’t expecting years but could he not have just got a few months to sit and think about it? It’s just disgusting."

The girl also recounted the emotional toll the ordeal has taken on her, including feelings of anxiety and isolation, as well as damage to her self-confidence and self-esteem. She described the pressure she felt from Nicholson, including the threats and persistent contact, which made her life difficult.

In court, Nicholson pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual activity with a child, claiming he believed the girl was 16 at the time. He was sentenced to a 14-month prison term, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete a sex offender treatment program. Additionally, he is required to sign the sex offenders' register for ten years, will be subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order, and a ten-year restraining order.

Judge Jeremy Freedman addressed Nicholson directly, stating, "What you did was to effectively groom her. You sought her out and gradually persuaded her to have sex with you. True it is, you didn’t use any force or physically make her have sexual intercourse with you but the law has to protect 14-year-olds from themselves. While you say you didn’t know she was under 16, it was easy for you to ascertain her age and you must have known she was appreciably younger than you. You took advantage of her, which was totally and utterly unacceptable."

The judge acknowledged Nicholson's lack of previous convictions and his apparent remorse but emphasized that such offenses typically warrant imprisonment. However, he noted that in this case, a suspended sentence was possible to allow for intensive rehabilitation, aiming to prevent future misconduct. The court's decision reflects a balance between societal condemnation and the hope for reform, though the victim and her family remain deeply dissatisfied with the outcome.