Bradley Grayson

Bradley Grayson, a 27-year-old man from Houghton-le-Spring, was sentenced at Durham Crown Court for repeatedly sexually abusing a vulnerable teenager. The court heard that Grayson had been drinking with the girl, who was very drunk at the time, before he began kissing her and proceeded to have sex with her. The victim, described as young and vulnerable, feared that Grayson would 'kick off' if she tried to stop him, allowing the abuse to continue on multiple occasions.

Prosecutor Paul Abrahams detailed how Grayson's actions led to the teenager becoming pregnant and giving birth to his child. Initially, she hid Grayson's identity as the father, naming two other men instead, and even concealed it from her own mother. It was only later that she confided in her family and the police, leading to Grayson's arrest. In a victim impact statement read to the court, the teenager stated: 'At the time I was young and vulnerable. He groomed me to get what he wanted. I was oblivious to what was going on. This is a man old enough to understand the difference between right and wrong. I think it is disgraceful what he has done. I wonder how in the future I will explain to my [child] who their father is.'

Grayson, of Longlands Drive in Houghton-le-Spring and formerly of Murton in County Durham, pleaded guilty to six charges of sexual activity with a child. In mitigation, his defence counsel Andrew Walker noted that Grayson was 'pained' by the effects of his behaviour, had attempted to end his own life, and was struggling with sleep and eating. The court was informed of one previous unrelated conviction from 2014. Judge Richard Clews, sentencing Grayson to five years in prison, remarked: 'You knew exactly what you were doing at all times. You knew it was wrong, but I assume you thought that you would get away with it and she wouldn’t say anything. What you have done has changed the entire course of her life. She was, as you knew, [only a teenager] and had whatever vulnerabilities.'

In addition to the custodial sentence, Grayson was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order. The case was reported by The Northern Echo, highlighting the grooming and exploitation involved in Grayson's offences.