Bohuslav Horvath

A 12-year-old girl thought she was having a nightmare when a stranger climbed through an upstairs window and sexually assaulted her as she slept.

It was only when detectives found fingerprints on the windowsill of her home in Darnall, Sheffield, they realised her ordeal had been real.

The prints were matched to Bohuslav Horvath who admitted sexual assault by touching and burglary on 15 May 2023.

Horvath was jailed for six years at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday.

The 23-year-old, of Basford Street, Sheffield, was also given an extended licence period of four years after his release.

Horvath used a ladder to climb through the upstairs window of the girl's home late at night and then crept into the next bedroom, where she was sleeping, South Yorkshire Police said.

When the victim woke up and found Horvath assaulting her, he fled to the other room and jumped out of the open window.

The girl and her family initially thought she had had a nightmare, but when she continued to show signs of distress the following day, a report was made to the police.

'Stuff of nightmares'
PC Fiona Busfield said: "After Horvath fled, the girl went downstairs at around midnight to tell her mother, who was still up, what had happened.

"After searching the house and finding no sign of the offender, they concluded it must have been a terrible dream."

However, crime scene investigators discovered Horvath's fingerprints on the bedroom windowsill and found a ladder lying on the grass in the back garden.

During an interview with police, Horvath admitted using the ladder to climb into the house but denied the assault.

PC Busfield said: "This case is truly the stuff of nightmares and I would like to commend the young victim and her family for their bravery and dignity during this investigation.

"I am pleased Horvath will be behind bars for many years to come and hope this helps to provide some closure to the young victim and her family."

Horvath was also handed a restraining order and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life.