Knapton man groomed 12-year-old he met at birthday party

Mark Kaye, 48, bombarded the youngster with dozens of inappropriate and indecent messages over a 10-week period, including ones featuring pictures of himself in the bath and others asking to see her naked.   

The Norwich family of the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said his actions had a devastating effect. 

Her father said: “It has massively affected our lives. It has been awful. My daughter started self-harming and she lost about a year at school. 

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“He sent a lot of messages and they were all highly inappropriate; telling her he liked her in a skirt and liked her legs and even that he wanted to marry her. He also asked if she wanted to see his genitals. 

“He said he’d liked her since she was 10. It still shocks and sickens me.”

The girl groomed by Kaye revealed to her parents that he had sent sexual messages to her on WhatsApp (Image: PA)

Kaye, of St Peter’s Close in Knapton, near North Walsham, was sentenced to 12 months after pleading guilty to engaging in sexual communications with a child.  

He was arrested in September 2021 after the family contacted police after discovering his WhatsApp messages.

“I asked my daughter what was wrong as I had noticed a change from being outgoing, bubbly and mixing with friends to being withdrawn, secluded and isolated,” said her father.

“She had problems at school, mainly going missing, hiding in the toilets, self harming, cutting herself. 

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“It was then she told me what had happened. Fortunately, she had screenshotted one of the messages that she found disturbing and distressful.”

Judge Andrew Shaw jailed Kaye for 12 months and made him subject of a 10 year sexual harm prevention order (Image: Newsquest)

Sentencing him at Norwich Crown Court, Judge Andrew Shaw imposed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order on Kaye, who works as an IT professional.

The court was told that he'd had an interest in young girls since he was 18 but had sought support from a sexual therapist.

The girl’s father said: “He had tried to persuade my daughter to meet him and apparently he had driven past our home many times hoping to meet.

"The judge said his intentions were to have sexual activity but we are just thankful it never got that far. But as the judge said, when you are 12 years old you trust people.”