Skegness man jailed for abusing underage girl

A man named Jonathan Bath, aged 42, who was working as a teaching assistant in Skegness nearly two decades ago, has been sentenced to five years and three months in prison for engaging in sexual activity with an underage girl. The court heard that Bath admitted to having sex with the girl in his car on two occasions after she had turned 14. Lincoln Crown Court was told that Bath initiated contact by kissing the girl after offering her a lift, which marked the beginning of the abusive relationship. It was revealed that Bath had previously been prohibited from working in classrooms following a misconduct panel in April 2015 due to a sexual relationship with another 18-year-old pupil. The incidents involving the underage girl only came to light in 2022 when Bath began following her on Instagram; the victim then responded, "if only they knew what he had done." Bath initially denied the allegations but later pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child, one count of sexual activity with a child, and two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, with these acts dating back to July 2005 and July 2007. The court highlighted Bath's manipulative behavior, noting that his primary motive was fear of being caught, and condemned him as a predator, acknowledging the significant age disparity of nine years. As part of his sentence, Bath was also subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years and must register as a sex offender for life. The victim, whose identity remains protected, spoke in court about her suffering and the lasting impact on her mental health, expressing hope that her testimony would prevent such abuse from happening to others.