Child sex pervert's sentence cut
A 71-year-old paedophile who preyed on an eight-year-old girl has had his jail term slashed on appeal by top judges.
Pensioner John Horsman, of Oak Lea, Greasbrough, forced the girl to fondle him after luring her into a building and locking the door behind her.
He was jailed for five years at Sheffield Crown Court in November last year, having pleaded guilty to causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
This week Lord Justice Hooper, Mr Justice Stadlen and Mr Justice Sweeney, sitting at London’s Criminal Appeal Court, reduced that term to three and a half years.
Lawyers for Horsman said he was in poor health and pleaded his advanced age in mitigation.
Condemning the offence, Mr Justice Stadlen said: “There were seriously aggravating factors in this case, including the youth of the complainant and Horsman's attempts to disguise the offence.”
But, allowing the appeal, he concluded: “Given his age and the circumstances of the offence, the appropriate sentence after a trial would have been one of four years.
“Given his late guilty plea we think the appropriate sentence would be one of three and a half years.”