A 67-year-old pensioner has been jailed for sexually assaulting two children. Kevin Lawton, from Stoke-on-Trent, has previous convictions for abusing young children.
Lawton kissed one child on her naked chest and naked bottom, and touched a second child's bottom over clothing. He has now been classed as a danger of causing serious harm to pre-pubescent girls.
Details of the offences
Prosecutor Robert Price told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court: "The victims both said that the defendant had inappropriately touched them. One of the girls told the police he asked her to show her boobs and he asked the other to 'twerk', a dance involving rapid shakes of the buttocks. He touched her bottom with his open hand."
"One of the girls told the police the defendant pulled down her top and kissed her chest and pulled down her shorts and kissed her bottom. He told her not to tell anyone."
Guilty plea and previous convictions
Lawton pleaded guilty to three charges of sexually assaulting a child under 13. The court heard he was convicted of three sexual offences involving young children in 2015, as well as 22 offences involving indecent images of children.
Paul Cliff, mitigating, conceded Lawton's previous convictions were relevant. Mr Cliff added: "He made a deliberate attempt to minimise contact with children for a number of years. His risk is likely to decline as a result of age and the benefit he can obtain from intervention. At the time he was a very lonely man."
Sentence and conditions
Lawton was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison with a three-year extended licence period. He must serve three years in prison before he is eligible for release by the parole board. He will then serve the remainder of the sentence on licence until the end of the seven-and-a-half-year sentence.
Judge Richard McConaghy said: "I do consider that you pose a significant risk to pre-pubescent girls."
Lawton is on the Sex Offenders' Register for life and subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
