JOSHUA MARTIN FROM HUDDERSFIELD SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES AGAINST 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL

A disturbing case of child sexual abuse has come to light involving Joshua Martin, a 26-year-old man from Huddersfield. The court heard that Martin, who was already a registered sex offender, engaged in a series of sexual offences against a young girl who was only 13 years old at the time. The incident began when Martin met the girl through a mutual friend in Huddersfield. The friend later reported Martin to the police, suspecting that he was involved in an inappropriate relationship with the underage girl, which set the investigation into motion.

Leeds Crown Court was told that Martin and the girl saw each other on a few occasions before she reached out to him via Snapchat. Prosecutor Kitty Colley explained that Martin was aware of her age from the very beginning but continued to pursue her. After approximately three months of communication, Martin invited her to his flat in Huddersfield. During this meeting, he forced her to lie to his friends, claiming she was 19 years old, in an attempt to conceal her true age.

Ms. Colley described the manipulative nature of Martin’s actions, stating, “The girl told officers at the outset of the interview, ‘he has been talking to me, making me feel there is no one there, no one who cares, more than other people. He manipulated me to make me feel like I love him’.” She further explained that the girl first met Martin while she was at McDonald's with a friend, and after initiating contact on Snapchat, they communicated for about three months before she visited his flat. The girl confided in Martin during their meetings, which the prosecution described as classic grooming behavior.

According to the court, Martin sexually abused the girl approximately 15 times. The girl reported feeling uneasy and having a “gut feeling” each time, recognizing that Martin was an adult and that the encounters made her uncomfortable. Ms. Colley highlighted that the girl vomited during one of these incidents and told Martin she wanted to stop, but he responded, “If you want to stop, I will stop but it isn’t helpful to me.” The girl also told him multiple times that he was too old for her and that he shouldn’t be doing this, but Martin insisted that it was her idea because she initially messaged him.

The court heard that Martin was responsible for convincing the girl to lie about her age, and her parents believed she was visiting a friend for up to 48 hours at a time. His arrest followed after a friend of Martin’s reported concerns to the police about his relationship with the underage girl. During police interviews, Martin appeared dismissive and admitted to the allegations, stating, “Can we get this over with please as it’s making me look like the bad guy. I know she’s 14, she wanted it as much as me, I’m not the only one to blame.” He also confessed to four counts of sexual activity with a child and failing to comply with notification requirements.

It was revealed that Martin had previously been convicted in 2021 for possession of pseudo images of a child, which led to him being subject to notification requirements. Her Honour Judge Rayfield sentenced Martin to eight years in prison, emphasizing the gravity of his actions. The judge stated, “You embarked upon a sexual relationship with a girl. Except, it wasn’t a proper relationship because she was a child and you were an adult… She was just 13 when you began to engage in sexual activity… I’m satisfied you’re sexually attracted to 13 to 15-year-old girls, as demonstrated by your previous convictions. I accept you can’t control who you’re attracted to, what you can control is whether you act on it.”

In addition to the prison sentence, a restraining order was issued to prevent Martin from contacting the victim or her family, ensuring her safety moving forward.