Man who ‘groomed’ 12-year-old girl and got her pregnant jailed

The schoolgirl was having difficulties at home in Leeds and said later she grew to trust Michael Small because he listened to her problems.

She was a virgin before he had sex with her on three or four occasions.

When she became pregnant she did not reveal at the time who the father of her child was, Small having told her he would be jailed if she did, Rob Mairs prosecuting told Leeds Crown Court yesterday. A couple of years later after falling out with another family member however she did confess to her mother that Small was responsible.

When he was then seen by police he said he did not think he had ever had sex with the girl but might have been drunk or using drugs at the time.

He was released on police bail while inquiries continued and failed to return to the police station in March 2005.

He was subsequently arrested in the Luton area in January this year by which time he had been proved by DNA to be the father of the child.

Small, 35, of no fixed address, admitted three charges of unlawful sex with a girl under the age of 13.

Jailing him the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC said the victim trusted him.

“You abused that trust and rather than giving her any direction you took advantage of her fondness for you. As a consequence of that she became pregnant by you.”

“When matters came to light you fled and laid low for about six years.”

The court heard in that time Small had moved away and begun a family of his own.

Kama Melly, for Small, said he accepted responsibility for his behaviour in 2002 and expressed his regret.