A MAN has been jailed for eight years after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13.
Mark Sheridan, 57, from Wythenshawe in Manchester, was arrested in November 2024 after the girl reported that she had been sexually assaulted.
Sheridan was remanded into custody at Bolton Crown Court on May 2, 2025 after being found guilty of sexual assault by penetration.
At the same court on Friday, he was also given a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
'Two ordeals'
"This has been a complex and upsetting investigation," said Detective Constable Victoria Banks of GMP.
"Sheridan put the victim through two ordeals, firstly by committing this heinous offence and then making her give evidence.
"The girl and her family have shown enormous bravery and must now pick up the pieces — and we will continue to support them.
"We are absolutely committed to removing offenders like Sheridan from the streets, as the danger he poses to society, particularly children, is significant.
"Hopefully today's sentence and our investigation will give victims the confidence to report these types of crimes and trust us to investigate them."
'Broken'
The victim's mother released a statement after the sentence, saying her daughter's life 'has been ruined forever'.
"I have a voice and will advocate for my daughter, to make sure when she is old enough to understand what happened, that she knows I did everything I possibly could, to make sure justice was served and this person was not free to sexually abuse any more children," she said.
"The damage to my daughter has already been done and can't be changed, her life is already broken.
"Even though Sheridan had been remanded since he was charged, justice has not been served as my daughter's life has been ruined forever."
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