August 2014
Pervert swamps girl, 13, with texts and calls before grooming her for under-age sex
A pervert who told ridiculous lies in an attempt to avoid conviction for grooming a young girl for sex is facing sentence.
Peter Spence claimed it was not him who contacted the 13-year-old victim and had sex with her.
A judge said prosecutor Catherine Donnelly’s suggestion that Spence’s story was absurd was correct
“I have never heard a more absurd defence as this since I have been doing this job,” said Recorder David Jeremy QC.
“What concerns me is when you can walk into the witness box and take an oath and tell such an absurd lies it shows you are in complete denial about issues you have about an inappropriate interest in girls who are too young.”
Spence, of Southfleet Road, Swanscombe, denied meeting a child following sexual grooming and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, but was convicted at Maidstone Crown Court.
He claimed an impersonator had engaged in sexual banter with the girl on Skype
“I have never engaged in that kind of activity with her,” he said. “Maybe she is protecting someone else.”
Spence, 23, rejected a suggestion by Miss Donnelly his evidence was “complete nonsense”.
He also denied manipulating the girl, charming her and showering her with compliments in over 1,000 calls and texts.
He continued to claim he had not taken the girl to a camp in Southfleet or a park on the North Downs.
Spence’s seven-months pregnant girlfriend sat in the public gallery as the jury returned guilty verdicts.
Simon Sandford, defending, said she had planned to return to work as a silver service waitress.
Adjourning sentence until September 9 for reports, Recorder Jeremy said told Spence: “Probation will look at your inappropriate interest in young girls, and how you can be helped to deal with it.
“The first thing is to be honest and abandon the absurd denial you have engaged in. My advice to you is to confront the truth.
“The lying is over. You have been rightly convicted on utterly overwhelming evidence.”
Conditional bail was continued. Spence was ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register.
