TWISTED PAEDOPHILE'S LIES FINALLY EXPOSED THANKS TO BRAVE VICTIM
A notorious paedophile, described as "twisted," robbed a young girl of her innocence and then accused her of lying when she finally testified in court.Thomas Sloan, aged 65, denied the allegations of abusing the girl from when she was 10 years old, which led to her facing two emotionally taxing trials.
In the first trial last year, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict regarding his guilt.
Nonetheless, a subsequent trial resulted in a clear conviction, with all jurors agreeing he committed nine sexual offences after just two and a half hours of deliberation.
At Liverpool Crown Court, it was revealed that the victim's suffering was long-standing, as she initially reported the abuse in the 1990s.
She had confided in a schoolteacher about the incidents, and the matter was discussed, but no police report was ever made at that time.
She later recounted to officers that Sloan would invite her to lie beside him and touch his penis over his trousers.
Ms.
McNeill stated, "She attempted to contact the helpline advertised but then decided to call 101 directly, choosing to report to the police." The girl also disclosed additional instances of indecent assault by Sloan, describing how he would touch her private areas over and under her clothing, and how she felt that these acts were wrong.
Sloan had encouraged her to perform sexual acts and, on one occasion, lay on top of her, rubbing his groin against her.
During police interviews, Sloan denied any sexual abuse, claiming she was falsely accusing him.
Ms.
McNeill noted, "He suggested she held long-standing resentment toward him but couldn't explain why." Following a four-day trial, Sloan was convicted of two counts of gross indecency with a child and seven counts of indecent assault.
In an emotional statement, the young woman told her attacker, "You took away my innocence, and I still feel the impact of that today." Sloan had a prior conviction from 1987 for assault causing actual bodily harm, which resulted in a suspended sentence.
During his defense, Andrew Jebb described Sloan as a generally honest, hardworking man whose wife, who remains supportive, suffers serious health problems that would be affected if he were imprisoned.
Judge Recorder Richard Pratt, QC, described Sloan as having a "perverted sexual attraction" to the girl, exploiting her in solitary encounters.
He emphasized that the jury's verdict indicated these crimes were not isolated incidents but a sustained pattern of grooming and abuse.
The judge highlighted, "One of the most disturbing aspects is that the young girl, nearing puberty and likely confused and naive, felt she was doing something wrong because she was engaging in this with you." He also remarked that the authorities' inaction during the 1990s reflected the times, stating, "I am confident it would be very different today." However, this delay allowed Sloan to evade the consequences of his actions, leaving the victim to carry the burden.
Sentencing him to eight years in prison, Judge Pratt said, "The harm you've caused the victim, both as a child and into adulthood, is immense." He also issued an indefinite restraining order for the victim's protection and ordered Sloan to register as a sex offender for life.
