A 42-year-old mum who had sex with a 15-year-old boy has been spared jail after a judge heard she gave birth to the teenager’s baby.
Helen Cartwright bedded the schoolboy – who was 27 years her junior – in her marital bed after months of flirting.
A court heard the relationship was initially “hugging and kissing” before they had sex at her home in Dudley, West Mids., last May.
Cartwright, who already had two children, fell pregnant and gave birth to his baby who is now five months old and they are now a couple since he turned 16.
On Wednesday she was sentenced to two years in prison suspended for two years when she admitted sexual activity with a child under 16 at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
She was also slapped with a two-year supervision order and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years.
Judge John Warner told Cartwright: “That the boy made the initial advance does not excuse your behaviour.
“You are not necessarily a sophisticated person and clearly gave no thought to the consequences.
“You should not have allowed things to continue as you did.
“There is clearly a significant difference in age but if this had happened two months later no crime would have been committed.
“I have thought long and hard about it, and in this case it may be appropriate to move outside the acceptable sentencing guidelines.
“Your relationship is now, for better or for worse, a legal one.”
The court heard the lad seduced Cartwright and had sex with her in her home where she lived with her husband and children.
Prosecutor Ms Sati Ruck said: “It was the boy who instigated the sexual relationship when he slept with the defendant in her own bed.”
Cartwright was arrested after social services were contacted following a tip-off about her relationship with the boy.
When quizzed by officers, Cartwright brazenly admitted knowing the lad was underage.
The court heard the pair stopped seeing each other when the police became involved but have rekindled their relationship and now have a child together.
Ms Sharonjit Bahia, defending, said: “She admitted her guilt in a police interview and made no attempt to hide her involvement.”
This is wrong. This woman should have been sent to jail. Make your feelings known to the attorney general at this address.
correspondence@attorneygeneral.gsi.gov.uk
This is the mail I sent to the attorney general requesting appeal of this ridiculous sentence.
Dear sir/madam,
I read with disgust the sentence passed in the case of Helen
Cartwright who (according to the court) had a sexual relationship
with a child. Helen Cartwright receive a suspended sentence.
On socicial media today, you cannot escape the fact that, had a man of
a similar age to Helen Cartwright (42) committed a similar, or even
lesser offence–if at all possible, they would have definitely being
jailed.
It is my opinion that this sentence is unduly lenient and works
against the community’s interest in that the perception, dare I say
the reality, of the legal system is that men are judged harsher for a
crime that are similarly committed by women.
Can you kindly advice me of the procedure to be followed in pointing
the attorney general’s attention to this unduly lenient sentence and
on how to get this sentence appealed.
NB: I am no party to this case. All I know of this case is that a 42
year old FEMALE had sex with a 15 year old school boy. That 42 year
old, male or female should not have been sentenced outside of the
guideline (as the judge did in this case).