Woman, 59, lured young female victim, 18, with letters from a ghost called Steve in elaborate sex plot

Elizabeth Carolan had denied four sex assault charges, but was convicted by a jury and jailed for six years



The judge said: 'You behaved in a wicked way towards this vulnerable girl - just to satisfy your own sexual gratification'



Manipulative: Elizabeth Carolan, 59, created a fantasy world in an elaborate plot to have sex with the youngster

A woman seduced a vulnerable young girl by writing hundreds of letters to her from fictional characters, including one from a ghost called Steve.



Elizabeth Carolan, 59, created a fantasy world in an elaborate plot to have sex with the girl, who was aged 16 at the time.

Carolan, had denied four sex assault charges, but was convicte d by a jury and was sentenced to six years in prison.

The judge said the case was bizarre and told her: 'You behaved in a wicked way towards this vulnerable girl - just to satisfy your own sexual gratification.'

Charlotte Newell, prosecuting at Canterbury Crown Court in Kent, said that some of the attacks happened at a holiday camp and a swimming pool.



She said Carolan, from Hythe, bombarded the girl, with more than 170 letters from fictitious people - including soldiers, a character called Daddy and a ghost called Steve.

Ms Newell added: 'The girl needed love and support. Carolan knew that and knew that she was vulnerable and was an easy target.



'Instead of mollycoddling, showing her love and support, she undid this girl’s bra.



'She had a sexual interest in this girl and manipulated her as it was easy to do.'

Obsession: Carolan, from Hythe, bombarded the girl with more than 170 letters from fictitious people - including soldiers, a character called Daddy and a ghost called Steve (file pic)

It was then that Carolan started to write fake letters - in an effort to manipulate her victim.



The prosecutor added: 'She had a rather twisted and strange view of the world, encouraging an apparent correspondence with a number of males that she (the victim) had never met and which (the victim) now believes was simply invented by Liz.



'At the time, she believed a whole cast of characters were writing to her and creating a fantasy world.

She said the reason was because Carolan wanted to ensure the girl, who is now 18, would not seek 'a real-life boyfriend who might take her away from this situation.'

The prosecutor said: 'Liz created a fantasy family for this girl, letters from many characters including Tony and Rob ... and a ghost called Steve.



'None of these people ever materialised, never seen in person. We say they never existed.'

Strong words: The judge at Canterbury Crown Court in Kent, said the case was bizarre and told her: 'You behaved in a wicked way towards this vulnerable girl - just to satisfy you own sexual gratification'

Ms Newell added: 'Steve was the ghost, an invention of course, but an invention who wrote letters of his own but also passed information.



'This was, the Crown say, a device to explain how the apparent author of one of the letters, who was allegedly in a hospital after having his arm blown off in Afghanistan, might know of a row with Liz that day.

Ms Newell told the court that the ghost was a device to explain how the characters would know about events in the teenager's life.

'Even letters from the ghost managed to have a sexual angle, with one saying: ‘Don’t stop the love games. Me love it’,' she claimed.



Another letter, purporting to be from Rob, who was supposed to be a admirer type of figure, and read: 'Don’t show your body to anyone, (just) to me, Steve, and Andy and Liz.'

