A SOLDIER who abused a young girl after pretending to be a zombie and a murderer is today behind bars.

Dean Whittaker, 19, sexually abused the girl of primary school age by using children’s games in which he played a zombie and a murderer in a darkened room as cover, York Crown Court heard.

He also played “schools” with her, where he had the role of headteacher and she was a pupil and had to come to him in a private room.

The child, to whom he is not related, told the jury he bribed her with promises of computer game software for her mobile phone to take part in the sexual activities, and told her not to tell anyone because he would go to prison if she did.

She kept silence until she heard a conversation during a car journey in which adults said “bad” secrets should not be kept secret.

Whittaker, of West Lutton, near Malton, broke his hand by punching a wall in frustration as he was taken to the court cells following his convictions.

York Press:

The jury convicted him of seven charges of sexual assault, inciting a child to commit a sexual act and causing a child to engage in sexual activity. He had denied all the charges, including three more sexual charges of which he was acquitted at the end of a week-long trial.

He was remanded in custody awaiting sentence on a date to be arranged. The cell guards had him removed to hospital for treatment, from where he was taken to prison. He has been suspended from the Army since he was arrested from barracks in Dorset and charged.

Giving evidence during the trial, he denied behaving in any way improperly with the child. He said he had gone on a pre-military training course in Scarborough in 2014 before enlisting on a course at Harrogate the same year. From there he had gone on to more training in Dorset.

He said he had arranged for software support for the child’s mobile phone, but denied that this was a bribe.

He said he had played the zombie and murderer games with the child, but denied that he had committed any sexual acts or offences while playing them.

He denied that he had been in a room with the child with the door closed, saying the door was always open. Character witnesses described him as a “polite soldier”.

The jury heard the offences did not take place on military premises and were not connected to his military activities.