Fraudster jailed over abduction of ‘vulnerable’ 14-year-old girl

John Bush, 35, disappeared with the girl, who cannot be named, in June.

A nationwide police hunt was launched after the teenager went missing from her home near Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

She was eventually found with Bush by police near Euston Station in central London.

At a previous hearing he admitted sexual activity with a child, child abduction and making off without paying for two hotel rooms.

He was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court by a judge who said he believed Bush was at least partly motivated by sex.

Sarah Wright, prosecuting, told the court how Bush, who was known to the victim’s family, took the girl after she was placed with foster parents. Her foster mother arrived at school on June 10 to find she had already left with Bush.

Miss Wright said this happened after he had been issued with an order called an abduction notice following previous incidents in which he had turned up and lured the girl away from people who were caring for her.

She said police later found the pair exchanged 250 text messages between June 7 and 9.

Judge Paul Watson said Bush’s action left many members of the girl’s family deeply worried. He said: “She was a vulnerable little girl leading a chaotic lifestyle, through no fault of her own. At a time when she needed stability and guidance in her life, you took her away from the people responsible for providing that for her.”

The judge heard how Bush had a history of convictions for dishonesty, involving conning people out of money and property, dating back to 1997.

Judge Watson jailed Bush, of Moss Road, Askern, Doncaster, for three and a half years for sexual activity with a child and two years for child abduction, to run consecutively. Bush was also jailed for 12 months for not paying for a hotel room.