A shop employee Kettering Paedophile, Shibin Vimala Santhakumar, who sexually abused a 14-year-old girl after grooming her with confectionery has been sentenced to prison.
Shibin Vimala Santhakumar, 45, was apprehended after being recorded mistreating the girl on the store’s CCTV footage.
He perpetrated the abuse while employed at the Windmill Avenue business in Kettering, Northamptonshire, in September 2020.
Shibin Vimala Santhakumar began providing the schoolgirl with additional change and complimentary products, including carbonated beverages, upon her arrival at the shop.
The grooming subsequently escalated, resulting in his sexual abuse of her, both within the shop and at his residence.
The girl reported him to police in November of that year and Shibin Vimala Santhakumar was arrested after detectives seized CCTV from the shop’s hard drive.
Shibin Vimala Santhakumar, previously of Pipers Hill Road, Kettering, pleaded guilty to some of the charges but continued to maintain his innocence in regard to the offences that had taken place at his home.
But he was found guilty of all nine charges including sexual activity with a child, inciting sexual activity with a child and possessing indecent images after a trial in August.
Shibin Vimala Santhakumar was jailed for 11 years at Northampton Crown Court on 23 September.
Detective Constable Chris Waterfall, from Northamptonshire Police’s child protection team, said: “As an adult who had regular contact with children through his job, Shibin Vimala Santhakumar abused his position to groom this girl into sexual activity.
“Her support throughout our investigation has been vital and I want to commend her for the courage she has shown.
“This case shows that sexual offences against children do not often start with an immediate offence.
“Shibin Vimala Santhakumar gradually built trust with this girl through offering her free items and money off her purchases. It then escalated into this abuse.
“I welcome the sentence handed out to him as it means there is one less sexual predator on our streets and one less person able to harm children.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.