Cookstown man sentenced for rape of nine-year-old girl

A man convicted of multiple offences including raping a nine-year old girl has been handed a 13-year sentence.

The judge told Jason Harkness, 31, of Drum Road, Cookstown, that despite his continued claims of innocence, the offences he committed indicated he had a “deviant sexual interest in children”.

Harkness was sentenced for a total of 15 offences, including raping and both sexually and physically assaulting the girl, as well as possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornographic images.

Harkness was sentenced at Dungannon Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, and he will spend half of the time in jail, with the rest served on licence.

Harkness stood trial in Dungannon last year and, despite his claims that the young victim was making up allegations against him, he was convicted in November 2024.

During the trial, the jury heard how his offending emerged when the child became upset during a well-being lesson in school in September 2021 and made disclosures to a teacher.

An investigation was launched and in December 2021, the child spoke to the police and outlined the abuse she suffered over a period from 2019 to 2021.

This included being sexually abused in the shower and being raped when she was nine.

The police praised the girl for her bravery in giving evidence in court.

Harkness will be placed on the sex offenders register and will be the subject of a sexual offences prevention order.

Both of these court orders are for an indefinite period.