A man from North Yorkshire has been jailed for 21 years after being found guilty of sexually abusing a toddler between December 2018 and March 2020. John Paul Zegstroo, 28, from Eastfield has also been placed on the Sex Offenders' Register and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the rest of his life.
The detective who led the case has praised the courage of the young victim and her family for reporting the offences. Detective Constable Laura Carroll, from Scarborough CID, said: "The poor young victim and her family have endured unimaginable trauma caused by this depraved man".
"I have nothing but admiration for the courageous way they have supported the investigation throughout this terrible and extremely distressing time. I truly hope the brave little girl and her family can now start to rebuild their lives with as much support and care around them as possible."
DC Carroll added: "As for John Paul Zegstroo, he has shown absolutely no remorse or acceptance of his crimes. "He put the victim and her family through the ordeal of a trial when he knew there was overwhelming evidence against him.
“He also tried to disrupt and delay the court proceedings on several occasion by claiming to be ill. This created significant additional distress." The victim's mother said: "Our family is so thankful for the hard work of Scarborough CID in bringing us justice and for believing in the victim."
If you want to report child abuse you can find support and advice here:
By calling the police on 101 if you have been a victim of abuse or ring 999 in an emergency.
NSPCC Helplines - 0808 800 5000
Childline - 0800 1111
Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC)
Victims who would prefer not to go direct to the police and are not in immediate danger, can contact Bridge House, North Yorkshire’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), on 0330 223 0362, email
