Sex offender in denial is jailed after calling young girl 'sexy'
A paedophile who called a nine-year-old girl "sexy" and a "hottie" has been jailed.
Robert Mansell, of Wem Road, Shawbury, admitted two charges when he appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
Mansell, 43, had pleaded guilty to attempting to sexually assault a girl under the age of 13 by touching, and failing to comply with a notification requirement as part of being registered as a sex offender.
The court was told that the first offence had taken place in a pub, while Mansell was drunk, last year.
Mitigation for Mansell had put the offence down to "drunken boorishness", with Judge Anthony Lowe urged to consider a suspended sentence which would include treatment, rather than a short prison sentence where he could be "released early due to the current overpopulation crisis in the prison estate".
Sentencing Judge Lowe said that Mansell was in denial about being attracted to children, and said that his concerns meant that a custodial sentence was unavoidable.
He said: "You have previously committed offences against children and the words you used towards this child victim plainly display a continuing sexual interest in young children, and yet you continue to deny that you have any sexual interest in children.
"It is evidenced therefore that your sexual interest in children is still beyond your ability to control.
"You obviously have an alcohol problem, I am told you recognise that now. When under the influence your ability to control sexual urges is lessened and when they are lessened, children will be at risk."
He added: "My primary duty is to ensure other children are not put at risk."
Judge Lowe said a victim impact statement had revealed the ongoing issues for the victim and her family.
He added: "This is the second time you have been involved in an offence involving a young child. Not only do you need deterring but other people need deterring as well. For that reason an immediate custodial sentence is the only sentence I can impose."
Mansell was jailed for 14 months, and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for ten years – with notification requirements of the same duration.
