Bradford man jailed for sexually assaulting teenage girl

A man has been sentenced to almost three years in prison for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl and taking indecent images of children.

Bradford Crown Court heard how Liam Bacon, now 31, attacked the teenager after a party at a house in November 2022 while his girlfriend was sleeping “drunk and snoring” in the same room.

After the incident, Bacon, then 30, threatened his victim, demanding she send him explicit images and offering to pay her for the images.

On Thursday Bacon, who now lives on Micklemoss Drive in Queensbury, was sentenced to 34 months in prison for sexual assault and also eight months in prison for making indecent images of children. Both penalties run concurrently.

He was also given a restraining order to stay away from his victim for five years and an indefinite sexual harassment prevention order.

The court heard that in November 2022, Bacon hosted a party at the house where he was living at the time.

After it was over, he had told the teenager she could sleep on a mattress on the floor in his bedroom while he and his girlfriend slept in the bed.

During the night the teenager went to the toilet and when she returned to the bedroom she found that Bacon’s girlfriend was now sleeping on the mattress on the floor.

Gareth Henderson-Moore, prosecuting, told the court: “The girlfriend came out because she was drunk and snoring.”

The court heard that Bacon then told the 16-year-old to go to bed with him and that he then sexually abused her.

The girl then waited until Bacon fell asleep before leaving the house.

Mr Henderson-Moore said Bacon knew the teenager had mental health problems, adding that the girl said she had not drunk alcohol that evening.

Mr Henderson-Moore said Bacon later began offering the girl up to £35 for sexual photos of herself, which she initially refused.

When Bacon spoke to the victim again, he asked her: “Is it scary being a girl?”, to which she replied: “Yes, we are taken advantage of,” Mr Henderson-Moore said.

The prosecution told the court that Bacon’s response to the girl’s comment was: “That’s what I’m here for.”

The court was told the victim assumed it was a threat and then sent Bacon 12 photos of herself and gave him some of her underwear.

Judge Kirstie Watson told Bacon the girl “must have sent this to you under the pressure you put on her”.

The court heard that when the victim told a relative about everything that had happened, the victim subsequently reported the incidents to the police without her knowledge.

Bacon was later arrested and his devices were seized, which contained 49 Category C indecent images of children, including one of the victim.

Following Bacon’s sentencing on Thursday, Det Sgt Samantha Swift of West Yorkshire Police said she wanted to “commend the victim’s bravery throughout the investigation”.

“I hope that justice can be served for her today, knowing that Bacon is now behind bars,” she added.

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