A ‘lonely’ 64-year-old has avoided jail after sexual assaulting a 14-year-old girl while dressed in school uniform.
Michael Wilson masqueraded as a pupil at a school in Bridlington, Hull, when he squeezed the bottom his victim on January 8 last year.
He was later caught by a member of staff standing in an out of bounds area of the school, which he had attended, wearing a wig, blazer and tie.
After his arrest a day later, police searched his home in Bridlington, where they found a secret room which contained a story written by Wilson titled ‘My Life As A 13-year-old Schoolboy’, Hull Crown Court heard.
Michael Wilson, pictured outside Hull Crown Court, masqueraded as a pupil at a school in Bridlington, Hull, when he squeezed the bottom his victim on January 8 last year
They also found blazers containing the crests of different schools plus the uniform he had been wearing on the day he sexually assaulted his 14-year-old victim.
Prosecuting barrister Richard Thompson told the court that two schoolgirls saw Wilson approaching them on the morning of January 8, 2019.
He said: ‘The defendant was walking towards the school wearing a wig, a white shirt, a blazer and a tie.
‘The defendant approached and without asking anything he squeezed one of the girl’s bottoms before walking towards the school.
‘He was seen by a member of staff in an area close to the school building clearly marked as out of bounds.
‘The staff member initially thought this was a student but when he approached closer he noticed he was not.
‘The defendant said he was looking for someone but immediately walked off down the driveway. The member of staff managed to take a picture of the defendant.’
After he was arrested on January 9, officers found a fake school identification card which contained an old picture of the defendant.
Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault and appeared at Hull Crown Court on Friday, March 6 to be sentenced (pictured)
Police also conducted a search of his home where they found a number of school uniforms and a document titled ‘My Life as A 13-year-old Schoolboy’.
Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault and appeared at Hull Crown Court on Friday, March 6 to be sentenced.
Mr Thompson told the court that the impact of the incident had caused the victim to overdose on two occasions.
Addressing Wilson in the dock, Judge David Tremberg said: ‘She has become anxious, introverted, lost confidence, self-conscious, she has self-harmed and become a very unhappy young lady.
‘She should not have to bear that burden and you are responsible for it.’
Sentencing Wilson to 12 months in prison suspended for two years, Judge Tremberg said it was an ‘unusual’ and ‘sad’ case.
‘It is also one that has troubling features,’ he said.
Sentencing Wilson to 12 months in prison suspended for two years, Judge Tremberg said it was an ‘unusual’ and ‘sad’ case. Pictured: Hull Crown Court
‘On the one hand you are clearly an intelligent 64-year-old man with no previous convictions and have a very good work record.
‘On the other hand the evidence and the content of the pre-sentence report indicates you have as the years worn on become a lonely, isolated, socially inadequate member of society and against that background you developed an unhealthy preoccupation of a life as a schoolboy.
‘You acquired school clothes, kept a story of life as a schoolboy, dressed as a schoolboy and attended the facility of your old school.
‘As far as the future risk is concerned the probation service say they can help to address the risk you pose by forms of treatment in the community.’
Wilson must adhere to a sexual harm prevention order for seven years in which he is prohibited from purchasing school clothing.
He must also not go within 100m of the perimeter boundaries of a school and is prohibited from having contact with any child under the age of 16 who is unrelated to him.
Wilson must also complete 31 sessions with the Horizon programme to address his offending.