Paedophile who sexually abused Rotherham girl is jailed for seven years

Daniel Raymond Cooper, 32, previously of Drummond Road, Bournemouth, pleaded guilty at Sheffield Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday November 3 ) on the second day of his trial.

He entered guilty pleas to five offences including indecent assault, sexual activity with a child and attempted unlawful sexual activity with a child under 13-years-old.

Cooper was jailed for seven years and was issued with an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, which prevents him from having unsupervised contact with any child under 16.

Cooper abused his victim, a young girl from Rotherham, between 1999 and 2004. He moved out of Rotherham a year later.

In May 2014, the victim came forward and reported the abuse to police who began their investigation.

Police Constable Natasha Mangham, from Rotherham’s child sexual exploitation team, said: “The victim in this case has shown tremendous strength of character and courage throughout a lengthy and complex investigation.

“I am glad Cooper finally accepted responsibility for his despicable crimes and spared the victim the further trauma of reliving her abuse before the courts.

“From speaking to the victim after the hearing, she hopes that her story and this successful conviction gives other victims the courage to speak out and report abuse.”

Anyone with concerns about child sexual exploitation should contact the police on 101 or the national helpline Say Something on 116 000. Always call 999 in an emergency.

There is a dedicated 24-hour confidential helpline for victims of sexual exploitation in Rotherham, run by the national charity NSPCC. They can be contacted on 0800 7319256 or emailed via [email protected]