Man jailed at Bradford Crown Court over sexual assault

The effects of Gibril Kanteh’s actions, which took place in Bradford, were said to have traumatised the underage girl.

In a powerful and emotional impact statement read to the court, the girl’s mother said had been “broken inside” by witnessing her daughter’s mental deterioration and change in character.

At times struggling to speak, she said: “The trauma of taking your child to a police station and then witness your child having to give a statement and describe how they were violated is extremely distressing.

“This crime will stay with us forever.”

The hearing took place at Bradford Crown Court

Prosecutor Verity Barnes said the victim believed that 29-year-old Kanteh, who appeared via video link from HMP Leeds, to be 18, though he was actually in his mid-20s at the time.

On being arrested in January 2023 Kanteh answered “no comment” to all questions but later pleaded guilty to sexual assault on a teenage girl and sexual assault by penetration.

In a statement read by her mother, the victim said she had been severely affected by the incident, which had led to anxiety, behaviour changes, problems at school, and flashbacks leading to panic attacks.

Her mother told the court that her daughter’s decline had been “heartbreaking to witness” and that she was “unable to put into words” the trauma of witnessing the impact it had had.

Mitigating, Nicholas Leadbeater said Kanteh’s strongest mitigation was his previous good character and his relatively early guilty plea.

Jailing Kanteh for four-and-a-half years Her Honour Judge Sophie McKone said: "You were so much older than her.

“You were very much an adult, and she was very much a child.

“Overall your very selfish actions have led to severe psychological trauma for a young person.”

Kanteh was also handed a sexual harm prevention order without limit of time and was put on the sex offender list for life.