A Newport Paedophile, Christopher Kennedy, who molested a girl starting at the age of seven during his adolescence in the late 1990s was granted a reprieve from immediate incarceration.
Christopher Kennedy, residing on Milne Way in Newport, appeared before the Isle of Wight Crown Court on Friday, April 4.
The 42-year-old, Christopher Kennedy, confessed to four charges of indecent assault against a girl and one charge of gross indecency involving a girl under the age of 14.
Christopher Kennedy sexually molested the youngster on the Island between January 1, 1998, and August 4, 1999.
Christopher Kennedy was between 15 and 16 years old, while his victim was between seven and nine years old at the time of the acts.
Oliver Hirsch, for the prosecution, stated that Kennedy made contact with the girl “both over and beneath her clothing” and, on one instance, compelled her to touch his genitals.
Subsequent to his arrest, Christopher Kennedy admitted to several issues and expressed remorse to his victim on social media, stating he felt ashamed of his conduct.
The court was informed that the victim had repressed her memory of the incident.
But after suffering “a bad mental health episode” in 2020, therapy caused her to remember the assaults, which she said “hit me like a bus”, said Mr Hirsch, reading extracts from her victim statement.
She added: “I felt disgusting, ashamed and dirty,” and said the experience had affected her adult sex life.
“He caused a significant degree of psychological harm to the victim,” said Mr Hirsch.
The court was told Christopher Kennedy was previously convicted of causing cruelty to a person aged under 16 years, namely a toddler, in 2010.
For Christopher Kennedy, Jim Osborne said his client was extremely remorseful and had empathy for his victim.
“He was very young and had no regard to the consequences of his actions. There is no evidence his behaviour escalated,” said Mr Osborne.
The sentencing judge, David Melville, handed Christopher Kennedy 16 months’ jail, suspended for two years.
“One cannot be other than appalled by what she went through,” the judge told Christopher Kennedy.
“In your favour, you didn’t put up any smoke screens.”
Christopher Kennedy was also ordered to complete 300 hours’ unpaid work and complete 30 rehabilitation sessions, and pay £150 costs.
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