"I was scared": 'Respected' firefighter, 33, crept into a 17-year-old girl's bed and molested her... but is SPARED jail sentence - as teenager bravely reveals her trauma

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A 'respected' fireman has escaped jail for sexual assaulting a 17-year-old girl after he crept into her bed after a party. Magistrates decided to show mercy to Edward Snook despite hearing his crime traumatised his victim and left her feeling 'numb' with shock.

Snook, who is engaged to be married, turned up drunk at the girl's home at 4am and asked if he could stay. The girl, who was aged 17 at the time, gave him a pillow and blanket to stay on the sofa but he went into her bedroom and said he needed to charge his phone.

Snook, who was 31 at the time and from Knutsford, instead got into her bed and stroked her stomach. He told the girl: "You're beautiful - 17 and 30 is not bad." The girl fled the room in a state of panic when he started to touch himself. READ NEXT: 'My abuser has just been granted early release - it's horrible, I feel sick' Today Snook, who continues to protest his innocence, shook his as he left the dock a free man.

Earlier prosecutor Katie Johnson read out a powerful 'victim personal statement' on behalf of the victim during the sentencing hearing at Crewe Magistrates' Court on Monday morning.