He appeared to be a 'caring family man' before a Tesco car park incident revealed all

A dad who sexually assaulted a teenage girl in a Tesco car park after a campaign of abuse "sees himself as the victim", a court heard. Jakub Rembowski appeared to be a "caring family man" who was at the heart of his church community.

However, he secretly subjected his victim to months of vile abuse, leaving her "feeling like her world had fallen apart". The father and owner of an IT consultancy business has refused to own up to his crimes, however, and 'is in denial' about his vile actions, a court heard.

The victim was a girl when she was sexually abused over a two-year period, Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday (Wednesday).

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Olivia Beesley, prosecuting, described how the 41-year-old assaulted the girl while giving her driving lessons on the car park of a Tesco supermarket by placing his hand on her thigh. During a subsequent lesson, he placed his hand on her knee before "moving his hand upwards" to touch her genitalia.

Rembowski then moved his hand underneath her hoodie in order to touch her breasts, although she blocked his attempt by placing her hands on the steering wheel. The Polish national, who first moved to the UK in 2016, also grabbed the victim to her waist and backside on his birthday on another occasion, the Liverpool ECHO reports.

In a statement which was read out to the court on her behalf, the victim detailed how she "became isolated and anxious" as a result of the incident and added: "My family kept telling me something had changed in me, but I didn't want to tell anyone. I was terrified of what he might do.

"I lost my appetite. All I could think of was what was going to happen. I felt like my world had fallen apart. I started to blame myself. I started to self harm. I couldn't handle it. I needed to get it out somehow.

"I can't sit around older men without feeling uncomfortable and scared. Even being on my own with my dad feels different, even though I know he would never do anything like that.

"I started to get panic attacks. I would sit on the floor in the bathroom crying my eyes out and not able to breathe... my childhood was taken from me. It should never have looked like this. It has been ruined."

Rembowski has no previous convictions. Jason Smith, defending, told the court: "Mr Rembowski still maintains his innocence. The reality is that there is very little I can put forward in positive mitigation in this case due to the fact that Mr Rembowski does not accept his guilt."

Judge Gary Woodhall said at this point: "He doesn't just not accept his guilt. He makes an all out attack on his victim and has been propagating that to anyone who will listen to him."

Mr Smith then continued: "All I can advance is his age and his employment. He has worked incessantly since he came to the UK. The term of imprisonment which will follow will be one which will crush him, in terms of the impact on the business he has set up.

"He has never received any sort of custodial sentence. He is more than apprehensive. He is terrified at the prospect. There are references to depression and references to the defendant seeking help, because he feels his health has been affected by these proceedings and by the delay in these proceedings coming to and end. But, today, these proceedings will come to end."

The judge added: "Your job has been made much more difficult by your instructions. But you have said everything that could possibly be said on his behalf."

Rembowski was found guilty of three sexual offences by a jury following a trial. Appearing in the dock wearing a dark grey suit over a white shirt, he puffed his cheeks out as he was jailed for 18 months.

Sentencing, Judge Woodhall said: "As a result of what you did, she was left feeling scared and isolated. She is anxious and has problems with her appetite. She has self harmed and she has difficulties being in close proximity to older men.

"You have a good employment and education record in Poland and since you came to this county. You are a company director for an online IT consultancy business. Your partner describes your character at work in very positive terms."

He added: "You suffer with depression. I have read and taken into account character references from friends, family and those involved in the church.

"Those references speak about you in positive terms, describing you as a caring family man. They describe this behaviour as entirely out of character and set out your positive involvement in the church.

"However, those around you do not accept your guilt. It is clear that you have maintained an account consistent with that which you ran at trial and which was rejected by the jury.

"You continue to maintain your innocence in strident terms. You and your referees repeat incorrect accounts of what happened at trial, all of which has undermined the cogency of those character references.

"You see yourself as a victim in all of this and have absolutely no remorse or contrition for you actions. You acted in a premeditated manner with little concern for the consequences of your actions.

"Imprisonment may well impact your daughter and your business. However, in my judgement, there is no realistic prospect of rehabilitation. You are in complete denial and see yourself as the victim."

Rembowski, of Hall Street in St Helens, was also handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for the next decade.