A man who falsely claimed to be a police officer sexually assaulted two teenage girls in a public place in Chepstow, Wales.
Aaron Grimshaw, 23, of Mountview Park, Lisburn, was sentenced to one year in prison at Bradford Crown Court last week, after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual assault.
Gloucestershire Police said the two counts related to the afternoon of Friday, May 22, when two 16-year-old girls attended a gathering at Tutshill Recreation Ground in Chepstow.
False police claim and assault
The court heard that Grimshaw approached the girls within a wooded area and falsely claimed to be a police officer, before saying that he needed to search the girls. He produced a wallet with a metal emblem and told the girls that he would have to take them to a police station or call their parents if they refused the search.
Both girls were scared of what would happen if they said no, and under pretences of the search, Grimshaw sexually assaulted them by touching their breasts, legs and bottoms under their clothing.
One of the girls shouted words to the effect of "no stop, I am not ok with this", and alerted their friends to what was happening. They all gathered around Grimshaw before recording him. In the video, Grimshaw could be heard saying "she consented" and he then said that he will call for uniformed officers before walking off.
Investigation and additional sentence
Police were notified of the incident later that day, and Grimshaw was identified based on the video recording and clothing he was wearing. He was taken to police custody for questioning and later charged with two counts of sexual assault on a female.
Grimshaw appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court for an initial hearing on May 25 and pleaded guilty to both charges. He was released on bail with conditions not to have any unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 years old.
In the same hearing, Grimshaw was also sentenced to an additional four and a half years in prison, to run consecutively, for unrelated sexual offences investigated by West Yorkshire Police. He had admitted to several offences, including sexual assault on a female, sexual activity with a child, engaging in sexual communication with a child and making indecent photographs of a child.
Grimshaw was also added to the Sex Offender Register for an indefinite period and issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for an indefinite period.
Victim impact and police response
During sentencing, segments of the teenage girls' victim impact statements were read aloud and detailed the impact of Grimshaw's actions.
The first girl said: "Since the incident I have struggled with loss of confidence in myself, anxiety and difficulty in trusting others. I have been having nightmares, hearing voices and seeing things that aren't there."
"Situations that may feel normal to others feel overwhelming and little things remind me of what happened making me go quiet and isolated. I no longer feel safe around big crowds and sometimes I feel unsafe walking on my own, especially past men. I find it very hard to believe people are who they say they are."
"Even though I am trying to move forward, the effects on me mentally will always remain and I will always remember what he did to me."
The second girl said: "Since I was young, I have always been told to respect police officers and to go to them if I am ever in trouble, but this situation has made me second guess myself in what a real police officer is."
"When this man approached me claiming to be a police officer, I felt intimidated, it has now left me with a trauma and a long-term fear of authority. Because of this incident I had to take time away from school as I was scared to go in the Sedbury and Chepstow area, which led me to missing an important exam that can determine my future."
"My last day of school was meant to be filled with fun memories with all my friends but instead got turned into a traumatic, scary and overwhelming day that will haunt me for the rest of my life. Although I am trying to move forward the effects are ongoing and have changed me."
At the conclusion of sentencing, Detective Constable Caroline George from the Child Abuse Investigation Team said: "I would like to thank the two victims for their courage and strength in reporting this to us and providing such clear accounts of what had occurred."
"Without this and the quick thinking of their friends to capture Grimshaw on video, we would not have been able to identify, locate and arrest him so quickly. I know this sentence won't take away the horrific memories they now carry; however, I hope it does allow them to move on from the horrible crimes that Grimshaw subjected them to."
A spokesperson for Gloucestershire Police said: "If someone has sexually abused you, help is available. For more information about child sexual abuse and information on how to report, visit: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/caa/child-abuse/what-is-child-abuse"
"You can also contact the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) by calling 0808 800 5000. Speaking with police and going through the criminal justice system is not something every victim/survivor wants to do. Support is available from partner agencies for all victims/survivors, regardless of whether they choose to go through the criminal justice system or not – do not suffer in silence."
