North Luffenham man jailed at Lincoln Crown Court for sexually attacking underage girls in Stamford

A man who sexually attacked two underage girls in Stamford has been jailed for nine years.

Jacques Nel, 39, will also have to serve an extended period of three years on licence after he is released from prison.

Nel had followed the two victims into a wooded area close to The Meadows, Stamford, on the evening of July 25 last year.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Nel had been drinking and already had his penis exposed when he went into the wooded area.

The court was told Nel moved one of the girl's heads towards his penis and also tried to penetrate the other child.

He was eventually disturbed by a group of teenage boys, the court was told.

Nel, formerly of Chapel Lane, North Luffenham, admitted three sexual offences including penetrative sexual activity with a child, sexual activity with a child and attempted sexual activity with a child.

The court heard Nel had two previous convictions for performing an indecent act on himself during train journeys in Cornwall during January 2022.

Steve Taylor, mitigating, said Nel had been working hard in prison after being remanded into custody.

Mr Taylor argued there did not appear to be any apparent explanation for the beginning of his offending in his late 30s.

"There has clearly been a problem with alcohol and cannabis misuse," Mr Taylor told the court.

"It was clearly difficult for him to come to terms with what happened that day," Mr Taylor added. "He is going to have a long time to reflect.

"He's had a significant impact on these two teenagers and he regrets it."

Passing sentence Recorder Paul Mann KC told Nel it was a "serious escalation in his level of offending".

Recorder Mann said Nel had no reason to believe either girl was old enough to consent.

"The offences were in a public place. Each girl was abused in the presence of the other," Recorder Mann said.

Nel was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order which prevents any contact with the victims, and will have to register as a sex offender for life.

Detective Sergeant Stewart Humm, who led the investigation, paid tribute to the young victims at the centre of this case. Support for victims of sexual assault can be found here.

“I am happy to see Nel behind bars for the crimes he committed,” he said.

“His actions were despicable and completely unacceptable. Lincolnshire Police did everything in it’s power to secure his conviction and I’d like to thank those who worked hard on this case.

“These crimes will have a long-lasting impact on the victims involved, their families and the wider community.

“But we hope this result will, in some small part, give those impacted by Nel some sense of closure and relief – though we know the road ahead will be a long one.

“I’d like to pay tribute to the victims involved in this case and their family and friends for their courage and bravery throughout the investigation. Their dignity is unquestionable.”