SITIKANTHA MOHANTY AND SHOCKING GROOMING IN DURHAM
A man identified as Sitikantha Mohanty, who has been living a largely isolated life in County Durham, has been convicted of engaging in a disturbing pattern of grooming and inappropriate communication with a vulnerable 13-year-old girl.The case was heard at Durham Crown Court, where it was revealed that Mohanty, a postgraduate student in business administration at the University of Durham, exhibited a highly dysfunctional and predatory interest in the young girl.
According to court reports, Mohanty began his troubling interactions by following the girl around in public spaces and gradually befriending her.
He then invited her to play hide and seek in a local park, an act that marked the beginning of his inappropriate engagement.
Over time, he sent her more than 1,000 messages, despite being aware of her age early in their correspondence.
The messages included flirtatious comments and invitations, which raised serious concerns about his intentions.
The court heard that Mohanty extended an invitation to the girl for tea at his residence and started requesting images of her, complimenting her appearance by calling her “beautiful and charming.” Prosecutor Lewis Kerr pointed out that a detailed examination of Mohanty’s messages later revealed that he had actively encouraged the possibility of meeting in person.
He told her how attractive she was and complimented her “well-balanced figure,” further emphasizing his inappropriate interest.
Mohanty also told the girl that he would be dreaming of her and, despite being more than three times her age, suggested he could be her “adult boyfriend.” The girl, however, responded minimally, mainly rejecting his advances and describing his messages as “scary and creepy.” In one particularly alarming message, Mohanty claimed he had no clothes on and urged her to visit his home to see him in that state.
The case was further compounded by reports from a concerned neighbor who had observed Mohanty following the girl and subsequently reported this to the police.
Additionally, the girl’s older sibling confided in their mother about the messages, which included an invitation for the girl to join Mohanty at a restaurant.
When questioned by authorities, Mohanty denied any criminal activity but admitted to sending photos of himself to the girl and requesting similar images in return.
He insisted he had no sexual intentions, a claim that was contradicted by the evidence.
Investigations revealed that Mohanty had deleted many of the messages from the victim’s phone, indicating an attempt to conceal his actions.
The 50-year-old, formerly residing on South Street in Spennymoor, pleaded guilty to a charge of arranging to meet a child following grooming, just days before his trial was scheduled to commence.
He had previously denied the offence but changed his plea after the evidence was presented.
A victim impact statement from the girl’s mother detailed the profound and lasting effects of Mohanty’s actions.
She described how her daughter’s life had been “ruined,” with her losing trust in men and suffering from flashbacks and fear of sleeping, fearing the defendant’s presence.
The girl has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and is now on anti-depressants.
Representing Mohanty, Tony Davis highlighted that the defendant was a man of no prior convictions, residing in the UK on a post-student visa.
He emphasized Mohanty’s high level of education, both in India and the UK, where he had completed a rigorous postgraduate degree at a prestigious university.
Davis explained that Mohanty had led an isolated existence in the UK, with his wife having recently traveled to join him after caring for her elderly parents in India.
His parents had also recently passed away, which had been a difficult period for him.
Davis acknowledged that Mohanty’s actions had become “dysfunctional” and that he was unable to fully explain or justify his behavior.
The defense lawyer noted that Mohanty’s wife was as shocked as anyone else and described her husband as generally gregarious, capable of speaking to anyone.
The lawyer also pointed out that Mohanty’s social isolation and subsequent inappropriate communication with children was a serious mistake.
He further stated that Mohanty now sincerely apologizes to the girl’s parents for the distress caused.
Since the offending, Mohanty has moved away from the area and is currently employed as an IT specialist for a government agency.
The court was told that he is considered a “low risk” of re-offending.
However, Judge Jo Kidd described Mohanty’s conduct as “gradual, sophisticated grooming of a particularly vulnerable girl.” She noted his persistent behavior and the fact that he had deleted messages from the victim’s phone to avoid detection.
The judge emphasized the severe impact on the victim, who now requires counseling and suffers from ongoing psychological trauma.
In light of the seriousness of his actions, Judge Kidd sentenced Mohanty to 20 months in prison.
She explained that the circumstances did not warrant a suspended sentence, underscoring the gravity of the grooming and the lasting harm inflicted upon the young girl.
