YORK MAN JAILED FOR SEXUALLY ABUSING 'VULNERABLE' TEENAGE GIRL
A York man has been sentenced to over five years in prison for sexually abusing a teenage girl.Marcus Lee Noble, aged 26, appeared before York Crown Court on July 11 after a jury convicted him of three counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Prosecutor Mike Greenhalgh described Noble as having used a "degree of grooming" to sexually abuse the underage girl in York.
Noble, of Thornton Road, was 23 at the time of the offenses in 2022, and there was a significant age disparity between him and the victim.
The victim disclosed the abuse to police last year, stating that Noble would say "sexualised things" about what he wanted to do to her.
The allegations include an incident where Noble exposed part of his body to the girl and made her perform a lewd act, followed by a sexual assault.
Another incident involved him pushing the girl against a wall and kissing her in an adult manner.
Following his arrest, Noble refused to provide police with the PIN for his mobile phone despite multiple requests and being served a statutory notice.
He was charged with failing to comply with a Section 49 notice to disclose the key to protected data and was also sentenced for the sexual offenses.
The victim, who is unnamed for legal reasons, expressed that Noble’s actions caused her to "grow up much quicker" than she would have otherwise.
Defense lawyer Andrew Semple highlighted that Noble, a father of one, suffers from long-standing mental health issues but had no previous criminal record.
He also mentioned that Noble fears incarceration, stating that "the prospect of jail terrified him".
Judge Simon Hickey remarked that the victim was a "vulnerable individual" who was exploited, and he acknowledged the large age difference between them.
Noble was sentenced to five years and one month in prison and was placed on the sex offenders register for life.
‘Lied from the beginning’ Detective Constable Marcus Furneaux-Harris commended the victim’s maturity and strength throughout the investigation and court proceedings.
He emphasized that no teenager should endure such abuse from an adult who has lied during the investigation, noting that Noble exploited the girl for his own sexual gratification.
He also pointed out that Noble’s refusal to provide his phone’s passcode sends a warning to others attempting to obstruct police inquiries.
