A Co Antrim man has been jailed in England and added to the Sex Offender Register for the sexual assault of two teenage girls.
Aaron Grimshaw, of Mountview Park in Lisburn, posed as a police officer and said that he needed to search the girls in one incident.
Grimshaw admitted to several offences which included sexual assault on a female, sexual activity with a child, engaging in sexual communication with a child and making indecent photographs of a child.
The court heard how two 16-year-old girls were approached by Grimshaw on May 22, when he falsely claimed to be a police officer and said that he needed to search the girls, saying he would have to take them to a police station or call their parents if they refused.
Grimshaw then proceeded to touch their breasts, legs and bottoms under their clothing.
One of the girls shouted words to the effect of “no stop, I am not ok with this” and alerted their friends to what was happening.
In this video Grimshaw could be heard saying “she consented” and he then said that he will call for uniformed officers before walking off. (Gloucestershire Police)
In a video recorded at the scene, Grimshaw could be heard saying “she consented” and he then said that he would call for uniformed officers before walking off.
Victim impact statements detailed the impact of Grimshaw’s actions.
The first girl said: “Since the incident I have struggled with loss of confidence in myself, anxiety and difficulty in trusting others. I have been having nightmares, hearing voices and seeing things that aren’t there.”
The second girl said: “Since I was young, I have always been told to respect police officers and to go to them if I am ever in trouble, but this situation has made me second guess myself in what a real police officer is.
“When this man approached me claiming to be a police officer, I felt intimidated, it has now left me with a trauma and a long-term fear of authority.”
Detective Constable Caroline George from the Gloucestershire Police Child Abuse Investigation Team said: “I would like to thank the two victims for their courage and strength in reporting this to us and providing such clear accounts of what had occurred.
“Without this and the quick thinking of their friends to capture Grimshaw on video, we would not have been able to identify, locate and arrest him so quickly.
“I know this sentence won’t take away the horrific memories they now carry; however, I hope it does allow them to move on from the horrible crimes that Grimshaw subjected them to.”