Corby paedophile left girl a nervous wreck

A girl was left fearing men and struggling to sleep because of a Corby paedophile's sickening actions.

Barrie Pickering sent her vile images and sexually touched her, asking her to let him do it as it would just be between them.

He even bought her expensive jewellery - but the 29-year-old was finally caught when the victim told an adult what he had done.

On Tuesday (May 11) he was given a community order and put on the register for sex offenders.

Northampton Crown Court heard Pickering, of Bideford Square, sent his victim lewd images of himself on Snapchat in December 2018.

Prosecuting, Jonathan Eley said that weeks later Pickering tried to kiss her before inappropriately touching her in January 2019.

Pickering told her: "Let me do it, it will be just between you and me."

The incidents left her disturbed, but in June 2019 he sexually touched her again. He also bought her jewellery, which he claimed was to cheer her up.

When the victim revealed what had happened to an adult Pickering - who the court heard had previously been warned by police over his contact with a child - was arrested.

Mr Eley said: "He denied any sexual touching. He accepted the images were his and claimed he was stupid for sending them to her.

The paedophile, who wore a grey hoody with a face mask under his nose in the dock, later admitted sexual communication with a child, sexually touching a child and attempting to sexually touch a child.

The court heard the victim suffers with anxiety, depression and panic attacks and struggles to sleep because of his actions.

Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane said: "It means she now has a fear of men."

Judge Crane said she was concerned that Pickering had shown a lack of remorse because he had denied the offences in a probation report.

Mitigating, Liam Muir said the paedophile, who he said has only left his house three times in the past 18 months, was embarrassed and disgusted by his actions.

He said: "He is someone who is struggling to come to terms with what he has done."

Mr Muir admitted there were a "lot of worrying signs" but that tried and tested probation courses have shown they can turn someone's life around.

He said: "If he goes to immediate custody, generally he is not going to have those courses."

Judge Crane sentenced Pickering to a 36-month community order and told him he would have to take part in the Horizon programme for sex offenders.

He will be on the register for sex offenders for five years, subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order and banned from working with children and vulnerable adults.