Man, 56, found guilty of multiple child sex offences

A 56-year-old man has been found guilty of multiple child sex offences including rape.

Jason Yongblah, previously of Weedon Close, Northampton, started abusing the girl when she was just 12 years old.

It started when Yongblah touched her inappropriately and escalated to repeated sexual assaults and rape.

He also bombarded the girl with multiple inappropriate text messages and after a relative saw some of these messages by chance, police were contacted.

Yongblah was arrested and subsequently charged with one count of rape of a child under 13, one count of attempted rape of a child under 13, three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, six counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13, three counts of sexual assaulting a child under 13 by penetration, one count of taking an indecent photograph of a child, one count of sexual communication with a child and three counts of making indecent images of a child.

He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual communication with a child and three counts of making indecent images of a child but pleaded not guilty to the rest of the charges, with a five-day trial set for this month (October).

During the trial, Yongblah denied that one of the photos used in evidence was of him, resulting in intimate photos having to be obtained of him whilst in custody for comparison purposes.

On Tuesday (October 8), the jury found him guilty of all charges.

He will be sentenced on November 29.

Lead investigator – Detective Constable Kirstie Brooks, said: “I am so pleased that Jason Yongblah has been found guilty of all charges and I want to thank the incredibly brave girl in this case, and her family, for coming forward and helping us put this predatory man behind bars.

“Having to give evidence at a rape trial is something no one should have to do, let alone when you’re a child. The courage this girl has shown has been staggering and I am so glad that her courage has resulted in her abuser being found guilty.

“This has been a complex case to investigate and deal with at court but all the hard work is so worth it when the offender is found guilty and you know they will now spend a significant amount of time in prison.

“We will continue working hard to put more people like Jason Yongblah where they belong – behind bars.”