A MAN aged 41 has been jailed for seven years and three months after plying an under-age teenager with cocaine and having sex with her.

Michael Dawson, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court on Monday on a video link to HMP Leeds where he is remanded in custody.

Prosecutor Gerald Hendron said Dawson had pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sexual activity with a child.

The court heard that he had pressured his victim, given her cocaine and threatened to slap her.

Mr Hendron said Dawson had sex with the girl in fields in Bradford as well as at a house.

When arrested and questioned by the police, he accused the child of lying, saying her allegations were ‘all fictional.’ The girl told the court in a victim impact statement that she had been left with anxiety and sleeplessness. Her mother spoke of her own stress, anxiety and problems with sleeping.

Dawson had three previous convictions for six offences, including a wholly separate matter of perverting the course of justice, dating from 2018. Mr Hendron said he had threatened a witness in an assault case.

Rukhshanda Hussain said in mitigation that Dawson now regretted trying to minimise his actions to his probation officer. It was out of guilt and shame and he had gone on to fully accept the Crown’s case.

He was homeless and addicted to drugs when he committed the offences.

Miss Hussain said he had no similar previous convictions and that his best mitigation was his guilty pleas.

Recorder Paul Reid said Dawson had committed ‘appalling sexual abuse’ against the girl.

“This is about as serious a case of its nature as it’s possible to envisage,’ he stated.

Dawson had taken her virginity and then told the police ‘a pack of lies’ and minimised his actions to his probation officer, even saying he blamed the child for encouraging the offences.

Recorder Reid said he had considered sentencing Dawson as a dangerous offender within the meaning of the Act but had drawn back because of his lack of similar offending in the past.

But he pointed to the disparity in age and the use of Class A drugs.

Dawson must serve at least two thirds of the seven years and three months behind bars. His case will then be referred to The Parole Board for it to decide whether to release him before he has served the full sentence.

Recorder Reid made a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered Dawson to sign on the sex offender register, both without limit of time.