Marin Cristea, a 61-year-old man from west Hull, has been jailed for sexually assaulting young children and an adult woman in separate incidents that were described in court as 'unpleasant and unsettling'. The offences occurred in Hull, East Yorkshire, and involved non-consensual kissing that left the victims shocked and anxious.
On 17 August 2023, Cristea targeted two children playing in a local park: a 12-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy. According to court proceedings at Hull Crown Court, Cristea approached the children while appearing intoxicated and not speaking English clearly. He engaged the girl in conversation before kissing her hand. He then took the boy's hand, kissed it, and kissed the boy on the mouth. Cristea also kissed the girl on her cheek. The boy's mother intervened, telling Cristea to leave, which he did. The girl later reported feeling 'freaked out' by the encounter, and the next day, she spotted Cristea staring at them again while they played. The children alerted police, who chased and arrested Cristea nearby. He was believed to be drunk at the time.
The impact on the young girl was significant; she stated in a victim impact statement that the incidents made her anxious about going out without a parent, leaving her feeling shocked and scared. This was not Cristea's first concerning behaviour towards children; he had a prior conviction in April 2023 for assaulting a child in Pearson Park, Hull, where he grabbed a child's wrist after attempting a fist bump.
In a separate incident on 22 February 2024, Cristea assaulted an adult woman as she prepared to attend a Pilates class in west Hull. While she sat in her parked car at around 8am, Cristea, again appearing drunk and unsteady, approached the open window, smiled at her, and put his head inside. The woman exited the vehicle, but Cristea blocked her path, lifted her hand to his face, and kissed it. She recoiled, but he approached again, attempting to kiss her cheek. Feeling panicked and trapped, she managed to escape and called 999. The woman later reported becoming more vigilant around men and feeling on edge as a result.
Cristea, of Melbourne Street, west Hull, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13 and one count of sexually assaulting a woman. Prosecuting barrister Jazmine Lee outlined the details, while mitigating barrister Stephen Robinson noted that Cristea committed the acts while heavily intoxicated, apologised for his behaviour, and attributed it partly to excessive drinking during his downtime from work at a food factory. Robinson emphasised that the offences did not involve touching sensitive areas and 'went no further than kissing'. Cristea expressed remorse and hoped to return to Romania upon release, where he has an adult daughter.
Judge Alexander Menary, sentencing at Hull Crown Court, highlighted the obvious impact on the victims, stating, 'These offences have had an obvious impact on the victims. It was unsettling for them and interfered with their daily routines thereafter.' Cristea was sentenced on 15 October 2024 to one year in prison, received a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, and must register as a sex offender for 10 years. The case was reported by Hull Live, with details from Humberside Police.