Golcar man jailed for teen sex offence

Mar 20 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A FATHER-of-one had sex with an under-age girl in a Huddersfield ginnel after plying her with vodka.

Now he has been locked up and banned from associating with youngsters.

Simon McDonald has been jailed for two years and nine months by a judge at Bradford Crown Court.

McDonald, 24, was originally charged with raping his 15-year-old victim, but at his trial last month a guilty plea to an offence of sexual activity with a child was accepted by the prosecution after the teenager had been consulted.

McDonald, who was 23 at the time of the offence a year ago, bought vodka for the teenager and her friends and hung about with them in a park in the Golcar area of Huddersfield.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that McDonald, of Beech Avenue, Golcar, Huddersfield, had previous convictions for offences including violence, but had no sexual matters on his record.

Police became involved after the girl’s mother found out of the incident.

His barrister Gillian Batts told Judge Jonathan Rose that her client's behaviour showed his immaturity and the offence had been opportunistic.