King Lynn man jailed for sexual offences against 'vulnerable' child
Jon Paul Dorling was sentenced to 14 years behind bars at Norwich Crown Court
A man from King's Lynn has been sentenced to a total of 14 years in prison for multiple sexual offences against a child.
Jon Paul Dorling, 49, of Bishops Road, Gaywood, appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Friday 8th December. He was sentenced to 14 years in jail for seven counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of sexual touching. He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years.
Dorling plead not guilty at an earlier hearing.
The court heard that between January 2017 and August 2019, Dorling engaged in sexual intercourse with a vulnerable child.
The victim had been in secure care because of being at risk of criminal sexual exploitation.
Dorling was arrested in August 2020 and questioned at the King’s Lynn Police Investigation Centre after the victim disclosed what had happened.
The victim described events happening in the suspect’s home and bedroom, describing layouts and the duvet cover on his bed.
Messages and social media searches were also used as evidence.
Dorling first befriended the victim's relative, before sending a friend request to the young teenage victim, then speaking with her on messenger while fully aware of her age.
The court heard how the victim was struggling with various issues when Dorling instigated sex with her.
The victim was told he loved her but, the court heard, he would also belittle and control her. She would lie to people about where she was and what she was doing in order to protect him
The victim told the court through her statement that Dorling, had damaged her relationships with her own family, isolated her at school, changed the way she viewed relationships still causing her depression and flashbacks.
She added: “With guilty verdicts at the end of this trial, I finally feel like my voice has been heard and I hope the sentence given reflects the enormity of Jon’s offending against me.”
Detective Sergeant Matt Hendry said: “This sentence goes some way to reflect the gravity of offending committed by Dorling and the effect that it has had on the victim. I would like to take the opportunity to praise the victim for her bravery in giving evidence and describing exactly what has happened to her at such a young age.“