Dad says he 'forgot' his sickening crimes which left his victim 'frozen in time'
The musician groomed the teenager with alcohol and cigarettes after befriending her on MSN messenger in the mid-noughties
A paedophile claimed that he "forgot" about the sickening crimes which he committed nearly 20 years ago while leaving a girl "frozen in time". Philip Daltry, a musician who has performed as a singer and guitarist at venues around the city for decades, groomed the teenager with alcohol, cigarettes, CDs and mobile phone top-ups after befriending her on MSN Messenger in the mid-noughties.
The dad then went on to sexually abuse her over the course of several months, even going to the lengths of phoning her school while posing as her dad so that she could skip classes. He now says that he "looks back at that time in his life with great regret".
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Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Friday, that Daltry, of Hatton Hill Road in Litherland, added the 15-year-old girl on the now defunct messaging service and bonded with her over a shared interest in music. The now 48-year-old later asked her to visit his home in order to collect CDs before meeting up with her in a pub and offering to buy her vodka.
Fiona McNeill, prosecuting, described how he went on to kiss her in Wavertree Mystery Park, touch her sexually on his sofa and instruct her to perform sex acts on him while buying her cigarettes and credit for her phone. She even feared she had become pregnant by him at one stage.
On occasions, Daltry would also call up her school pretending to be her father and tell staff that she was unable to attend. Their contact was however halted when her he discovered MSN messages in which the defendant had told his daughter that he "would like to see her when she out of the shower".
She eventually reported his crimes to the police in 2022. When subsequently interviewed by detectives, Daltry "in essence denied committing any of the sexual acts alleged".
His victim told the court in a statement today: "For years, I've carried the blame, shame and guilt for what he did to me. That has affected how I've felt about myself for my whole life. I've blamed myself for many years.
"I was never really able to tell anyone what happened, until very recently. I've never spoken about what Philip Daltry did to me. When I did, all of the hurt and anger came to the surface. I've had nightmares and find it hard to sleep."
Daltry was previously handed a three-year community order for possession of extreme pornographic images in 2012. Olivia Beesley, defending, told the court: "This is a very difficult case, and a very sad case. I am sure Mr Daltry has heard every word [victim's name] has said this afternoon.
"At the heart of Mr Daltry's mitigation is his physical condition. He is registered blind, and has been since he was a child. In custody, he will be particularly vulnerable. His time in custody will present many more difficulties than it usually does for most.
"Mr Daltry does acknowledge that his actions were wrong and shows remorse. He looks back at that time in his life with great regret. He was facing a number of challenges during that period of his life. His family had their own difficulties, which resulted in his father serving a long custodial term.
"He had a young child. He was made redundant and lost his home as a result. References speak of a very different man, who has supported others during difficult times in their lives. He has been described as a good father."
Daltry admitted five counts of sexual activity with a child. Appearing in the dock wearing a black jacket over a burgundy shirt, he showed no reaction as he was jailed for four-and-a-half years.
His supporters meanwhile held hands in the public gallery, with one woman seen in tears as he was led to the cells by a security officer. Sentencing, Judge David Potter said: "You groomed her, such that you began, progressively, to sexually abuse her more and more, steadily and with greater severity. You did so by ingratiating yourself in her life with your shared interest in music.
"You would ply her with cigarettes, alcohol and phone top-ups. You made excuses for her to stay out of school so that you could continue to engage in sexual activity with her.
"You encouraged her to remain silent by claiming that it was your secret with her. It remained her secret for many years until 2022, when she found the courage to speak out about what you did to her at that vulnerable age.
"In the pre-sentence report, you suggest that you had forgotten about this activity and got on with your life. That was not her experience. She has lived with the shame of what happened to this day. It has affected her whole life.
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"I have read letters which speak about the other side of your personality. Of course, you have got on with your life when [victim's name] has been frozen in time from when she was 15."
Daltry was also handed a restraining order banning him from contacting the complainant indefinitely. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for life.
