Man jailed over child grooming

A man has been jailed for sexually grooming a 17-year-old girl over a number of years in Stoke-on-Trent.

Liam Cotteril, aged 30, of Stoke-on-Trent, was sentenced on Monday 19 August at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court after admitting sexual activity with a child and coercive and controlling behaviour.

He was handed a seven-and-a-half-year prison term for the offences which began when the girl was in her early teens.

The court heard how he had groomed the victim for more than three years, first engaging her in sexual activity in 2021.

Cotteril had used controlling behaviour to prevent the victim from going out, forced her to travel with him across the country and plied her with drink and drugs before assaulting her.

He had harassed and threatened the victim on multiple occasions, despite a warning notice being in place to prevent him from contacting her.

He denied all the offences in interview but later admitted them in court.

In addition to his prison sentence, Cotteril was also handed a sex offender notification requirement meaning he will regularly have to report to Staffordshire Police upon his release.

PC Liz Turley from our child protection team, who was the officer in charge of the case, said: “This was a complex and challenging case for the team which at times was intense and emotionally difficult.

“The resilience the victim has shown as we have worked to progress the case has been astounding and I hope the result gives her the opportunity to begin to rebuild her life, with the support of our partners and other agencies.

“Cotteril is a highly manipulative, controlling individual, and I am pleased he has been handed a significant prison sentence for his offending which he orchestrated over a number of years.

“I hope this outcome reassures our communities that if you have been a victim of a sexual offence, coercive control or grooming, you will be believed, supported and we will do all we can to prosecute and protect you from these offenders.”

If you have been affected by sexual abuse and would like to talk to someone, visit: How to report rape, sexual assault or other sexual offences | Staffordshire Police.