Senior aide to Labour’s Wes Streeting AVOIDS jail after he flashed girl, 13, then followed her in terrifying ordeal
A SENIOR aide to Labour’s Wes Streeting has avoided jail after he flashed a 13-year-old girl then creepily followed her.
Labour councillor and ex-parliamentary candidate Sam Gould performed a sex act on himself while sitting in a car in front of the teen.
When she ran away, the 33-year-old followed her into a cul-de-sac in Romford, Essex, during the terrifying ordeal last month.
The teen was forced to bang on doors for help before a passing motorist came to her rescue and noted down Gould’s number plate.
He has now avoided jail and was instead handed a 22-week sentence, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to two counts of indecent exposure.
The second charge relates to a woman who also saw him performing the indecent act in his Mini Cooper.
Barkingside Magistrates’ Court was told the schoolgirl was walking to meet her pals when the horror unfolded.
Gould was tracked down by police and arrested later that day.
The girl’s mum told The Sun how her daughter had been left “traumatised” by the incident and did not want to leave the house.
She added: “If that member of the public hadn’t stepped in, I dread to think what might have happened.”
Gould has since resigned from his role as a Redbridge councillor following his conviction.
Redbridge Council’s Labour leader Kam Rai said he was “relieved” and backed plans to empower local authorities to remove councillors who commit serious crimes.
Before his resignation, Gould was able to remain on the council – despite being sacked from the Labour Party.
Following his plea, Health Secretary Mr Streeting said: “There are no words to express my horror that a mother and her daughter have been put through this ordeal, and will have to deal with the trauma of it for some time to come.
“As soon as I was made aware of his arrest he was suspended, and as soon as the guilty plea was entered I took immediate steps to sack him through official HR processes.
“There are no excuses for his appalling behaviour.”