Michael Reed jailed for 7 years

11:52am Wednesday 21st May 2008

A PAEDOPHILE who told a nine-year-old York girl he wanted to get her pregnant has been jailed for seven years.

Michael Reed also threatened the girl that he would kill her mother unless she kept silent about his repeated sexual attacks on her.

When she finally broke her silence and told her story to a jury, the former York man claimed that she and her relatives had conspired against him and made up a pack of lies.

But the jury believed the girl and her family and rejected his account.

Today, Reed, 47, is starting seven years in jail, after his bid to evade justice failed.

Judge Peter Hunt also made a sexual offences prevention order against him in a bid to protect children from him when he is finally released.

Reed will be on the sex offenders' register for life, and is banned indefinitely from working with youngsters in any capacity.

Reed, formerly of Tang Hall and now of Darfield Road, Leeds, denied three charges of attempted rape and two of sexual attacks on the nine-year-old.

But he was convicted by a jury at York Crown Court last month.

The jury heard Reed had told the girl he wanted to get her pregnant, and threatened to kill her mother if she spoke out.

She kept silent for months after the abuse ended, but eventually broke down in tears and revealed her secret to her mother.

Reed, who knew the girl's mother, was sometimes left alone with the child.

When he gave evidence, he claimed that the girl made the story up at the urging of her mother.

His legal team also produced evidence that the girl had lied in school on other matters.

Reed was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court, after probation officers prepared a report on the danger he would potentially pose to children in future.

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