A FIFTEEN-year-old girl texted her fears that she would be raped while being molested in a north Cumbria hotel by a man who earlier made a web search for “sex with minors”.
German national Sven Halstein, the father of two sons, told police when he was arrested at Penrith’s Premier Inn: “I just wanted to have fun.”
But the harrowing impact of his sexual offending against the girl was outlined in graphic terms at Carlisle Crown Court as Halstein, 37, was handed a 45-month jail term.
Prosecutor Rob Wyn Jones summarised a statement provided by the victim’s mother. “She describes her hope that (her daughter) will be strong enough to get through all of this,” said Mr Wyn Jones, “but worries that the family will never be the same again.”
Counselling had been provided for the girl, who spoke about rarely leaving her home now. “She feels guilty, ashamed and blames herself for what happened,” added the prosecutor.
Yet the judge who passed sentence told Halstein it was his responsibility that the child was kept safe.
Halstein and the girl initially met through online dating app Badoo. “She made it clear her age and that she was messaging from school,” said Mr Wyn Jones.
Their chat switched to WhatsApp and, the next day, they met outside Penrith’s Premier Inn. They went to a bedroom where Halstein pushed himself on to the girl and engaged in sexual activity.
“During the course of that she was able to get hold of her phone and messaged her friend, saying she was ‘going to get raped’,” said the prosecutor.
Friends and the girl’s father went to the hotel, where she was seen to be “upset and shaky”. In an interview with police she spoke of ordeal’s impact on her and other family members.
Halstein — who had earlier sent the girl sexual explicit pictures — was detained. And, when his phone was searched, it emerged he had made a web search in German for “sex with minors in England”.
Halstein later admitted a six offences — engaging in penetrative and non-penetrative sexual activity with a child, sexual communication with a child and arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence by booking the hotel room.
Brendan O’Leary, mitigating, said Halstein, of no fixed address, had no previous criminal convictions and had entered early guilty pleas.
He had a partner and two young sons, with references provided to the court speaking positively about the role he played in his community.
“It is hard to reconcile the man they wrote about with the offences he has committed in respect of this young girl,” said Mr O’Leary in his address to Judge Nicholas Barker.
“Mr Halstein expressed to me, and expresses to Your Honour, his genuine and sincere remorse for this offending.”
Imposing an immediate prison sentence, Judge Barker told Halstein: “I am satisfied of the following: that you knew that she was 15 and, as such, that she was young and vulnerable; and you knew that your activity was illegal.”
Halstein must sign the sex offenders’ register and comply with a strict prevention order, both for life. He will also be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults.
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