Sheffield man 'illegally took teenage girl three times'

Sheffield Magistrates’ Court – sitting at the Sheffield Crown Court building – heard on June 1 how Darrell Jordan Vaughan, aged 22, of Earl Marshal Road, Sheffield, was seen in Barnsley with the 15-year-old girl on March 31 and was twice with her on May 5 and 6.

District Judge Naomi Redhouse said Vaughan had been seen walking down a road with the youngster on March 31. She added he had also been seen on a bus with the youngster on May 5 and the youngster came to find the defendant who was with others on May 6.

Vaughan pleaded guilty to three counts in Barnsley of taking a child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, from the control of her grandmother.

The child’s grandmother stated Vaughan was a friend of the youngster’s late father and she claimed the youngster’s behaviour began to deteriorate after she started associating with known drug-users who were known to the defendant.

John Booth, defending, said the relationship between the defendant and the youngster was “perhaps a friendship”.

He added that Vaughan has had a difficult childhood.

District Judge Redhouse sentenced Vaughan to a 12-month community order with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and a 28-day curfew with an electronic monitoring tag running from 7pm to 7am daily.

He was also given a three-month ban not to contact the youngster apart from one letter via the probation service.

Vaughan must also pay a £95 victim surcharge.