WOMAN JAILED FOR HELPING BOYFRIEND TO RAPE SCHOOLGIRL TWICE
At 33 years old, Gemma Hill engaged in messaging exchanges with her partner, Stephen Arnopp, during which they planned the sexual assault of a young girl.Investigations uncovered that they had also collaborated to plot the assault of a nine-year-old child.
Arnopp was sentenced to 11 years in prison after being convicted of abusing and twice raping a girl under 13 in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.
Evidence placing the girl’s underwear at his home was found.
From Hatfield, Hill was sentenced to six years after she advised the girl against reporting the assaults to police.
Despite her warnings, the girl disclosed the incidents to her teachers, leading to police involvement.
Judge Marie Catterson pointed out Hill’s ‘extremely low’ IQ and described the girl’s long-term psychological impact as ‘incalculable’ and likely to be ‘difficult and profound’ following their guilty pleas.
During sentencing, the judge noted Hill’s evasiveness, accusing her of pretending ignorance.
She highlighted that Arnopp’s abuse involved deliberate and detailed planning and commended the police for arresting them before they could target another girl.
A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed, barring the defendants from contacting the victims, residing in the same house, or having unsupervised contact with females under 18.
Both defendants admitted all charges.
Arnopp received two overlapping 40-month sentences for conspiracy to commit sexual acts with a child under 13, plus an eight-year consecutive jail time for two counts of raping a minor under 13.
He also received concurrent sentences of four months for inciting sexual activity and eight months for sexual activity with a child under 13.
Hill was given two consecutive four-and-a-half-year sentences for conspiracy to engage in sexual acts with a minor, along with an 18-month sentence for cruelty to a person under 16.
