A 23-year-old man from Woodhouse, Sheffield, has been handed an extended sentence of five years and one month at Sheffield Crown Court after admitting the repeated rape of a 12-year-old girl and recording one of the assaults.
Kern Lenehan appeared for sentence following an investigation by South Yorkshire Police into the sexual abuse of a child in the Doncaster area.
The court was told that Lenehan was 19 years old when he initiated contact with the complainant through an online dating application. While the profile listed the user as 19, Lenehan conceded during proceedings that he did not accept the stated age, believing instead that the girl appeared around 15 years old. At no point did he question or verify her age.
Reviewing contemporaneous photographs of the victim, Judge Peter Hampton rejected Lenehan’s assertion that he held an honest and reasonable belief that she was an adult, stating:
“The reality is there were red warning lights flashing across the board, which you simply ignored.”
The court found that Lenehan pursued a sexual relationship irrespective of the child’s age. The offending involved three separate incidents in which Lenehan raped the girl inside a tent situated near her home in Doncaster. During one of the attacks, Lenehan produced an illicit video recording on his mobile hardware.
The abuse came to light after the girl’s brother inspected her Snapchat account, identified the communications, and challenged Lenehan over why he was messaging an individual who was 12 years old. Following this confrontation, Lenehan ceased communication.
Under the provisions of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 and Section 49 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, the victim is protected by automatic, lifelong statutory anonymity. Publishing, broadcasting, or disseminating any information, names, addresses, or images capable of leading to the public identification of the complainant is strictly prohibited under UK law.
A Victim Personal Statement provided by the girl’s mother described the severe psychological toll inflicted on her daughter, explaining that she “struggles significantly” in the aftermath of the offences and that her childhood had effectively been stolen.
Lenehan pleaded guilty to:
Two counts of rape of a child under 13
One count of making an indecent image of a child
Judge Hampton categorised the case under statutory dangerousness provisions, passing an extended determinate sentence of five years and one month. The sentence comprises four years and one month in immediate prison custody, alongside an extended licence period of 12 months.
Under standard statutory sentencing rules for determinate sentences in serious sexual offences, Lenehan is required to serve at least two-thirds of the four-year and one-month custodial term in prison before becoming eligible to apply to the Parole Board for conditional release on licence under probation supervision.
Alongside the extended custodial term, the court ordered:
Mandatory lifetime notification requirements on the Sex Offenders Register under the provisions of the Sexual Offences Act 2003
Enforceable protective orders monitoring his digital access and contact upon release
Image – Anonymous Artist Impression
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