A WOMAN recorded herself touching the genitals of a young child and then shared the video online, her excuse: “I’m very trusting and generally say yes to anything”.
Jasmine Somerville, 33, pleaded guilty to sexual assault and indecent images offences after she shared footage of her assaulting a child on platforms such as Snapchat.
Somerville said she now acknowlwedges that her actions were inappropiate[/caption]
Somerville said: “I’m very trusting and generally say yes to everything. If I’m asked to do something, I generally comply with the request.”
She said she now acknowledges that she acted inappropriately.
She added “I wish to make it clear I was manipulated and threatened online” and that she “can’t really recall” who she made the video for.
Somerville was jailed for 38 months and is to sign the sexual offenders register, she will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.
She pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a child, and making and distributing indecent images of a child.
The pre-sentence reports said she poses a high risk of serious harm to children.
Defence barrister Susannah Proctor said that Somerville had ADHD and PTSD.
Miss Proctor added that the assaulter was previously a carer for the elderly and looked after her grandmother.
“She is extremely lonely and isolated. Her life was online.
“She would make friends with people and those relationships led to this offending,” said Miss Proctor.
The barrister continued: “She can’t comprehend how she behaved in the way she did.
“She found it extremely hard to accept there was any sexual element to this offending.
“She is remorseful for it. She has been living in a tent in the Newcastle area.”
