He told the mother of his victims he had been diagnosed with the terminal illness
A creepy and perverted 77-year-old pensioner with a history of sex offences groomed and sexually touched two young girls, leaving one of them suffering from nightmares and having trouble sleeping.
Crafty and "manipulative" Raymond Paterson took advantage of three girls in total and he had failed to alter his ways after earlier being given a "mercifully low" six-year prison sentence for raping another girl. He wheedled his way into the life of the mother of two of the girls after the woman sympathised with him and tried to help him because he told her that he had been suffering from cancer, Hull Crown Court heard.
Paterson, of Julian Close, Hull, admitted two offences of sexual assault between March and November last year and four offences of breaching a sexual harm prevention order, between July and November. Louise Reevell, prosecuting, said that Paterson twice tapped the younger of the two girls on her bottom and told her to be a good girl, making her feel uncomfortable and causing her to run away from where he was.
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On earlier occasions, he kissed his fingers and touched her face every day for more than a month. The incidents had left the girl suffering nightmares and finding it difficult to sleep.
In separate incidents, Paterson sexually assaulted another girl after befriending her mother, who felt sorry for him and tried to help him after he told her that he had suffered cancer. He grabbed and rubbed his hand on the girl's chest area on three or four occasions and made sexualised remarks.
He also grabbed her face, rubbed her hand against his cheek and stroked her hair. She had been left suffering from anxiety.
Paterson allowed girls into his home in breach of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order made in July 2011 when he was jailed for six years for raping a girl under 13 and causing a girl to engage in sexual activity. He had convictions for 15 previous offences, nine of which were sexual offences.
David Godfrey, mitigating, said that a pre-sentence report on Paterson was "grim reading" and it seemed, from it, that he "was in denial" but he had made admissions. "He is someone who accepts his offending," said Mr Godfrey.
Paterson had, apart from these offences, "led a decent existence" but his 2011 conviction was "worrying". He hoped to move into sheltered accommodation when he was released from prison.
"He is somebody who has distorted views, that is clear," said Mr Godfrey. "He wanted to say sorry. He feels bad about what he has done and he regrets what he has done."
Judge John Thackray QC told Paterson: "In 2011, you received a mercifully low sentence of six years' imprisonment for very serious offences, including the rape of a child under 13. Despite receiving that mercifully low sentence, you have gone on to commit further offences against children.
"I have no doubt, and the probation service have no doubt, that you represent a very high risk of causing sexual harm to children. During an eight-month period of 2021, you set about targeting young children.
"You set about befriending a woman who you knew had children. You were manipulative and dishonest in doing so."
Paterson was jailed for three years after being branded a dangerous offender. He will be on extended licence of five years after his release from prison.
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