Sheffield man handed 20 year sentence for sexual offences against teenage girl
The 38 year old exposed himself to the victim - before sexually assaulting her.
A Sheffield man is starting a 20 year prison sentence after sexually assaulting a teenage girl in woodland in the city last year.
38 year old Ben Johnson, of no fixed address, wore a balaclava as he exposed himself to the victim, assaulted her and attempted to rape her in Tongue Gutter Woods on June 27 2024.
She managed to get away after punching him, with Johnson quickly being identified as the culprit.
He was charged with attempted rape of a girl under the age of 16, two counts of sexual assault, and exposure.
A jury at Sheffield Crown Court found him guilty of all counts on July 1. He was jailed earlier this week and also given an indefinite restraining order against the victim in the case.
DC Kevin Sibley, the officer in charge of the case, said: “The teenage victim showed incredible courage throughout her ordeal, both in the immediate aftermath of the attack, and during the criminal justice proceedings."
“She was able to provide a strong positive ID of her attacker, which helped us to prove that Johnson was responsible for this sickening crime, and I commend her for her remarkable bravery.
“Our officers worked quickly to identify a crime scene and carry out enquiries that led to Johnson’s arrest within 24 hours of the crime being reported to us.
"I am pleased with the lengthy sentence he has been handed – a dangerous man is now behind bars where he belongs.”