Shropshire youth in court for second child sex assault

The 17 year old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court for sentencing on Friday.

He had pleaded guilty to the rape of a child under the age of 13 when he appeared at Telford Magistrates Court on October 24.

The youth had previously been sentenced to four years in a youth offenders' institution in August 2014 for attacking a girl in April of that year.

The offence he has just admitted took place a few weeks prior to the one he was sentenced for two years ago, but was only discovered last May.

The boy had been released in April following the conviction for the other crime.

Mr Phillip Beardwell, prosecuting, said the boy had initially denied the offence but a few days later confessed, as the rehabilitation he had been undergoing had made him understand the seriousness of his crimes. Sentencing, Judge Jim Tindal said that if the crime had been punished at the same time as the other case, it would likely have added another six months to his sentence, meaning he would just be set for release now.

He handed him a youth rehabilitation order for three years to continue the work he had been doing.

The youth was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and ordered to pay a victim surcharge.

Judge Tindal said it was in the defendant's interest and "more importantly, in the interests of society" to hand down that sentence rather than a custodial one.

He said the teenager might lose the progress made in his rehabilitation and be more of a danger to the public if he was locked up again.

He added: "You say you have changed, you want to show that you have changed and I am making this order so that you may continue to do that."