Man who assaulted preschooler claimed he thought she was an 18-year-old babysitter

A 22-year-old British man was sentenced to nearly three years in prison earlier this week for sexually assaulting a 4-year-old girl.

Conrad Pritchard initially denied the allegations, according to the BBC. He tried to justify the assault upon his arrest by arguing he thought the preschooler was actually an 18-year-old babysitter, Detective Paul Davies of Greater Manchester Police told the BBC.

Davies called it absurd, and a judge dismissed the argument as “inconceivable.”

The judge with the Manchester Crown Court later convicted him of sexually assaulting a child.

Pritchard was out drinking with friends before they went to one of their homes, at which point Pritchard “crept upstairs and carried out the assault on the girl,” according to the Epoch Times.

“Pritchard targeted a young girl as she slept in her own home so that he could satisfy his own appalling urges. He deliberately targeted his victim and since the incident has continued to show very little remorse for his actions,” Davies said.

Pritchard was sentenced to 32 months in prison on Thursday, in addition to another 8 weeks on a shoplifting charge.

This story was originally published January 27, 2018 at 11:18 AM with the headline "Man who assaulted preschooler claimed he thought she was an 18-year-old babysitter."