Paedophile who left the area caught and jailed for seven years

A MAN who sexually abused a girl over a five-year period before moving out of the Rotherham area has been brought to justice.

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

He was charged with 14 counts and pleaded guilty to five of them against the Rotherham girl and was sentenced to seven years' in prison.

The offences took place in Greasbrough between 1999 and 2004 - a year before he left the town.

Cooper entered guilty pleas to five offences including, inciting a girl under 14 to engage in an act of gross indecency, attempted unlawful sexual activity with a child under 13, indecent assault, sexual activity with a child under 13, and sexual activity with a child under 16.

The rest of the counts will lie on file.

Cooper was also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order which prevents him from having unsupervised contact with any child under 16.

The Advertiser requested a picture of Cooper but South Yorkshire Police said there was not one available.

The victim came forward and reported the abuse to police in May 2014 and an investigation began.

PC 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 yesterday, 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 731 9256 or emailed via [email protected]