Stablehand jailed for spanking young girls with whip

Leeds Crown Court heard yesterday that Michael Dennis Wootton had contact with the girls after gaining the trust of their families.

He met a female relative of one through following different hunts between Doncaster and Harrogate, and then began to help out exercising horses at the premises in the Pontefract area, where she was a groom.

When the girl began visiting the premises, aged about nine, she came under the influence of Wootton. Andrew Kershaw, prosecuting, said under the pretence of disciplining her for mistakes, such as leaving a tap on, he began to smack her backside over her clothes.

She thought it was "weird" but it progressed to him persuading her to lower her trousers, saying "let's do it like the olden days".

She eventually revealed what had been happening after she refused to have anything more to do with him and was asked why.

A police investigation followed in 2005 but after Wootton denied the smacking and no charges were then brought.

Mr Kershaw said in 2006, Wootton befriended another woman after meeting her at a party and through her got to know the second girl, then aged about six, who was interested in horses.

She began fortnightly riding lessons at stables in the Pudsey area and on occasions he would help her family by taking her there, but some months later she announced she hated Wootton.

She then disclosed Wootton had smacked her and had taken her to his bedroom and used a riding crop on her bottom.

Kirsty Watson, representing Wootton, said he had found it difficult to admit what he had done but now realised he needed help.

Wootton, 32, of The Lanes, Pudsey, admitted four charges of sexual assault.

Sentencing him, Judge Rodney Grant said he accepted most of the incidents were over clothing and none had involved touching genitalia but there were aggravating features.

"First of all what you did to these young children involved the infliction of pain in order to gain sexual gratification for yourself." He said that pain left no lasting injury but "one doesn't know the psychological harm which your behaviour towards these children will have caused".

Wootton had also deliberately placed himself in circumstances where he would have access to young children.

The judge barred Wootton from working with children and ordered him to register as a sex offender for 10 years. He was also banned for 10 years from being involved with riding stables.