A paedophile hypnotised one of his victims and raped another girl until she passed out alongside his partner. Mark Aspin, 44, and Debbie Pickersgill, 46, targeted their young victims in Hull. Aspin is accused of raping a teenager so aggressively that she lost consciousness
Pickersgill, who claimed she feared being attacked herself, watched the assault unfold, Grimsby Crown Court heard. During the course of the trial, the jury watched CCTV footage showing Aspin apparently hypnotising one of the victims and making her dance and pose like a model.
As cited News24xx.com from Hull Live reports, prosecutors said this was a grooming technique used by Aspin, although he said was a “real hypnotist”. Aspin accepted he did have sexual intercourse and group sex with two of the alleged victims alongside his partner. However, he said that did not happen until both girls were 16.
Three victims gave evidence during the harrowing trial and told how they were raped by Aspin against a horrific background of violence.
One said she was just 11 when Aspin raped her, and two others said they were targeted and raped when they were 13.
A jury sitting in on the nearly two-week trial took just 24 hours to find Aspin guilty of the following charges:
- Two counts of child cruelty
- One count of sexual activity with a child
- Two counts of rape of a child under the age of 13
- Seven counts of rape of a child under the age of 16
- Six counts of rape of a child over the age of 16
- One count of attempted rape
- Three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity
Pickersgill was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a child. She was found not guilty on one count of sexual activity with a child.
Pickersgill claimed she was “under duress” and “forced” to take part in group sex with Aspin and underage girls as she felt she would be beaten or killed.
