Man jailed for 'despicable' sauna attack on boy

Stephen Tate tried to flee the leisure centre but the boy's father noted his car registration

A man who inflicted a "despicable" sexual assault on a teenage boy with severe learning difficulties in a sauna has been jailed.

Stephen Tate attacked his victim at Hyndburn Leisure Centre in Accrington in January 2022, Lancashire Police said.

The 69-year-old, of Gordon Street, Church, denied engaging in sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder impeding choice but he was convicted after a trial at Preston Crown Court in December.

He was handed a six-year jail term at the same court on Tuesday. The victim's family said the mental scars of the attack will "stay with him for life".

Police said the victim reported the incident to his father when he arrived at the leisure centre to collect him.

The father then tried to stop Tate but he ignored him and got into his black BMW and drove away.

However, he took a note of the vehicle's registration and reported the attack.

'Robbed'

In a statement read to the court, the victim's father said: "Our son's disability has delayed his recovery from this incident.

"We do not know how long this will take but the mental scars will stay with him for life.

"We cannot explain how this has truly impacted his mental wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem. This incident has certainly taken away his limited enjoyment in his life.

"As parents, this one incident has damaged our vision and dreams of how we wanted our son to live his life, given his disabilities.

"He has been robbed of any opportunity to go to professional counselling as we think he feels ashamed or is too scared to communicate with new people."

Det Con Vicky Heys said: "This was a despicable offence committed against a vulnerable young man who had no comprehension of what was happening to him.

"Tate exploited the victim's vulnerabilities for his own sexual gratification."

She also criticised Tate for taking the matter to a trial where the the victim and his family had to give evidence and relive the ordeal.

Tate was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register, barred from working with children and vulnerable people and banned from entering any public sauna, steam room or solarium for 10 years.