A Halifax ice cream vendor who sexually assaulted a teenage girl while employed at The Piece Hall has been sentenced to over three years in prison.
Arthur Malaj, 37, of Range Lane in Halifax, was convicted in July of inducing a juvenile to participate in sexual behaviour concerning events that occurred over a decade prior.
Recorder Simon Kealey KC stated that Malaj, then in his mid-20s, was employed as an ice cream vendor at The Piece Hall.
The judge said Malaj had provided free ice cream to his victim and had also given back more change than he should have before he started to discuss sexual topics with her.
On at least three occasions, Malaj persuaded the girl to perform a sex act on him in the toilets at the tourist attraction.
Recorder Kealey said Malaj had also touched the complainant’s breasts and bottom and he had kissed her.
Malaj’s offending was not reported to the police until 2018 and when he was interviewed he denied knowing the victim.
Recorder Kealey said it was absolutely clear from her victim impact statement that the abuse had had a very significant effect on her.
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“In my judgement there was an element of grooming,” he told Malaj over a prison video link to HMP Leeds.
Married Malaj was due to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court in August but, after turning up at court on bail, he then “panicked” and was wanted by police on a warrant for almost a month.
A judge sitting at Bradford Crown Court heard today (Tuesday) that the subsequent delay meant his victim, who had attended the initial hearing, was no longer able to be at court to see him locked up.
Recorder Kealey jailed Malaj for three-and-a-half years for the two sexual offences and added a further four weeks in custody for breaching his bail by leaving the court in August.
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Malaj will now have a to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and will also be subject to an indefinite restraining order preventing him from having any contact with the victim.
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