A man who pretended to be a security guard at a music festival has been jailed after plying a 15-year-old girl with alcohol before having sex with the teenager.
Alex Stokes, 32, had been working at Latitude Festival in Henham Park, Suffolk, as a steward before he encountered the girl and a friend.
He told them he was a security guard, but in truth he had been dismissed earlier that weekend from his role as a steward.
The two girls told him they were both 15 and that they had been drinking alcohol during the incident on July 23, 2022.
Stokes was jailed for 42 months at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday (July 11), having been convicted of having penetrative sex with a 15-year-old.
The court heard Stokes spent time with the victim and her friend in one of the music tents, where he provided them with more alcohol, they said.
When they moved outside the tent, Stokes had sex with the victim.
The two friends managed to get away from him by saying they needed to use the toilets.
Alex Stokes, 32, pretended to be a security guard at Latitude Festival in Henham Park, Suffolk, before plying a 15-year-old with alcohol and having sex with her
The incident happened at Latitude in July 2022 just days after the victim had turned 15
Stokes was jailed for 42 months at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday and made the subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order
A festival-goer spotted them in a state of distress, with the victim disclosing what had happened.
After they got to the welfare tent, the festival’s safeguarding lead called the police.
Stokes should have surrendered his pass and not re-entered the site after his dismissal as a steward.
He was also found not guilty of rape of the victim and sexual assault against a second person.
Stokes, formerly of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, was also made subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Detective Constable Sam Jones said: ‘Alex Stokes took advantage of a young girl, who was almost half his age at the time of the offence and who had told him she was just 15 – having only turned 15 a matter of days before.
‘He deliberately attempted to gain the trust of the victim and her friend by claiming to be a security guard and the fact that he continued to provide them with alcohol, demonstrates clear predatory behaviour towards a vulnerable teenage girl.
‘I would like to pay tribute to the victim and her friend for their bravery in working with us to secure this conviction.
‘This incident will no doubt have had a huge impact on them at such a young age, but I hope Stokes’ conviction will enable them both to move forward with their lives.’
