Jail for Pontefract mum, 31, found guilty of having sexual affair with boy, 14

A mum aged 31 has been jailed for five years after being found guilty of having a sexual affair with a 14-year-old boy.

A court heard the youngster had sex with Kerry Horsfall using condoms which he told police officers been given to him in a sex education class at school.

Horsfall was found guilty of three offences of sexual activity with a child.

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A jury heard she would have sex with the schoolboy at her home in Pontefract during an affair, in 2013, which lasted 25 days before his parents found out and contacted police.

Leeds Crown Court heard the mum-of-one, now pregnant with a second child, first kissed the boy during a game of hide and seek.

During the period of her offending, Horsfall and the boy exchanged 1,738 Facebook and text messages.

Horsfall, who works as a carer for the elderly, sent the boy messages telling him she loved him and wanted to be with him.

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Police were contacted when the victim’s parents saw some of the messages on his lap top computer.

During the trial Horsfall, of Harewood Rise, Pontefract, denied having sex with the youngster and claimed he had been infatuated with her.

She claimed that he had sent set up a fake Facebook account purporting to be her and then sent the messages to himself.

Jailing Horsfall, judge Sally Cahill, QC, said: “The evidence in this case in my view was overwhelming.

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“Your argument that they (the messages) were sent by (the victim) from different tablets and mobile phones was complete nonsense.”

The court heard the victim still had feelings for Horsfall and is worried what was going to happen to her despite the abuse he was subjected to.

Judge Cahill added: “He thought it was something that he enjoyed, something that he wanted.

“You were the adult in this situation, you should have kept him at arms length.

“But you encouraged him.

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“You told him you loved him, you told him you wanted this with him.

“That is not the sort of conduct one expects from a woman of your age.”

Horsfall was also told she must go on the sex offenders register for life

Jeremy Lindsay, mitigating, said Horsfall had no previous convictions and was of previous good character.

He said Horsfall was due to give birth in a few months.

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DC Elkie Gardner of the Wakefield Child Safeguarding Unit, said: “This has been a complex and long running investigation and we welcome Horsfall’s sentencing this afternoon.

“She knew her vulnerable victim was under the age of sexual consent and yet both created and encouraged the circumstances for the offending to take place. Despite a large volume of evidence against her, she still put her victim through the ordeal of a full trial.

“Wakefield police will not tolerate child abuse of any kind and will take positive action against perpetrators.”