A paedophile farmer who believes children are “little adults capable of enjoying sex” has been jailed for 22-years for the rape of a child he left with a “broken soul”.
58-year-old Philip Youngman, who repeatedly abused the girl was recently convicted of a series of rapes and sexual assaults at the Newcastle Crown Court. He was convicted by the jury of five offences of rape and seven of serious sexual assault, which happened on Tyneside, after a five-day trial.
His victim, who has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, was also in court to narrate her ordeal by giving evidence in front of the jury.
In an impact statement read to Newcastle Crown Court, she said: “He has taken away my childhood innocence and left me a broken soul.
“No words can express what he has done to me.Coming forward was one of the hardest things I have done in my life.
“Without support I wouldn’t have done it. At no point has he acknowledged what he did to me was wrong. He made me relive the abuse during the court case.
“No sentence can turn back the clock on my childhood and return me to normal. I cannot get those years back.I will have to live with this for the rest of my life, with damaged mental health and twisted memories.”
After the guilty verdicts, the pervert threatened to kill himself, depending on the length of the sentence he’s handed.
Jailing Youngman, Judge Robert Adams said to him: “You continue to deny the offending behaviour. You say you plan to appeal against the convictions.
“You have demonstrated distorted thinking and harmful beliefs. You consider children as little adults capable of enjoying sex.
“You have views of sexual entitlement. You believed you would get away with it. You have said you will kill yourself, depending on the length of sentence.”
The judge ordered Youngman to sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for life.
Tom Mitchell, defending, said Youngman’s crimes are “never likely to be repeated again” as he will be a much older man when he is released from jail.
After the case, Detective Constable Stefan Noakes, of Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding Department, said: “The victim in this case has shown great courage in coming forward, not only to report this horrific abuse at the hands of Philip Youngman but also in preventing any further victims.
“She was first targeted as a schoolgirl and so would have no real idea about what was going on.
“As the years went by he must have believed he had gotten away with his abuse but now he is behind bars where he belongs.
“The victim in this case found the courage to come forward to police and tell us what had happened. That is an incredibly brave thing to do.
“I hope that this conviction helps her to move on with her life. She should be applauded for helping to put a predatory paedophile behind bars.
“Hopefully other victims of sex offences, who are yet to contact police, can look at this case and see a conviction is possible and police are here to help.”
