Steven Anthony Jennings

Steven Anthony Jennings, 52, a sexual predator from Harrogate, has been sentenced to an additional two years' imprisonment at York Crown Court for two counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13 years of age. The offences occurred between 2005 and 2007 at a property in Harrogate, pre-dating similar crimes for which he was already serving a 15-year sentence imposed in 2017 at Teesside Crown Court. The new sentence is consecutive, extending his time behind bars.

The victim, who was very young at the time, reported the assaults to police in 2019 after confiding in her partner more than a decade later. She described 'freezing' during the incidents and not realising at the time that anything wrong had occurred. Jennings, in his early 30s during the assaults, initially denied the allegations when questioned at Moorlands Prison in Doncaster in May of the previous year, as his existing term was nearing completion. He ultimately admitted the charges, while a third allegation was dropped but left on the court file.

In a victim impact statement read in court, the woman detailed the profound effects of Jennings's 'cruel' actions, stating they had impacted her mentally, physically, and emotionally for years. By her mid-teens, her self-esteem and mental health were so severely affected that she was 'ready to die' and would 'cry myself to sleep every night'. She described having 'lost all innocence' due to the abuse.

Jennings's prior 15-year sentence in October 2017 was for raping and sexually assaulting two other pre-teenage girls between 2008 and 2011. For one victim, he admitted rape and sexual activity with a child; for the other, indecent assault. The assaults involved plying a girl with alcopops, playing games like truth or dare, and multiple rapes. Defence barrister Hussain Rukhshanda noted Jennings's remorse. Judge Simon Hickey described the impact on the new victim as 'horrendous', telling Jennings: “She said that’s a burden she carried from a young age due to your selfish actions.”

In addition to the two-year custodial term, Jennings was placed on the sex-offenders’ register for a further 10 years and made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, banning contact with underage girls and the three victims. This case highlights the delayed reporting common in child sexual abuse and the ongoing pursuit of justice for additional offences.