Man who drugged child before sexual assault jailed

Michael Murray has been jailed for 14 years

A man who plied a child with prescription drugs before sexually assaulting her has been jailed.

Michael Murray, 39, groomed the teenage victim over a period of time and "preyed upon the vulnerability of a young child for his own sexual gratification", police said.

He was found guilty of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of sexual assault, and had admitted more than 30 drug offences.

Murray, of Prescott Road, Halifax, was jailed on Friday at Bradford Crown Court for a total of 14 years.

His drug offences included possession with intent to supply Class A, B and C drugs.

The court also heard police found a large supply of prescription drugs at his home after he was initially arrested in connection with the sex offences, which took place between 2021 and 2022.

Further searches resulted in "substantial quantities" of cocaine and amphetamines, as well as cannabis, being recovered

West Yorkshire Police’s Det Con Riah Nicholson of the Calderdale District Safeguarding Team said: “Murray is a dangerous and calculated predator who preyed upon the vulnerability of a young child for his own sexual gratification.

“We would urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual offending or abuse whether it is recent or not to come forward and report it to police.

“You will be listened to and taken seriously, and we will do all we can to bring perpetrators to justice."

Murray was sentenced to 11 years for the sexual offences and three for the drugs offences, to run consecutively.

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