A man convicted of sexual activity with a teenage boy has been jailed.
Jack Vincent Lane, aged 23 and of Hangersley, Ringwood, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Tuesday 8 December 2020 after being found guilty of three offences of sexual activity with a child following a trial at the same court.
He was sentenced to 12 months in prison and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years, as well as being placed on the sex offenders’ register for the same period.
Evidence was put before the jury that Lane had met with a teenage boy from Poole on a number of occasions between March 2017, when his victim was 14, and July 2017. The pair both shared an interest in cars and went to a number of car meets together.
They attended events in Poole, London, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Northamptonshire and the pair also communicated through Facebook as well as text messages.
In July 2017 they travelled together to an event in Ringwood and when they were in the car Lane touched his victim inappropriately.
Around the same time they also went to a mini car show in Devon and on the way back Lane again inappropriately touched his victim. When the victim challenged him he claimed he had done it accidentally.
That evening they went for a swim in the sea in Boscombe and the defendant touched his victim inappropriately over his swimming shorts.
In November 2017 the victim disclosed the offences to his mother.
Following enquiries Lane was interviewed by officers in April 2018 and, after a detailed investigation including examination of electronic devices, Lane was issued with a postal requisition to appear at court.
As he sentenced the defendant, the judge stated that aggravating factors in Lane’s offending included the psychological harm caused to the victim and the fact that there were multiple incidents.
Detective Constable Andy Hale, of Dorset Police’s Child Exploitation Team, said: “Jack Lane groomed his young victim and gained his trust before making repeated sexual advances, despite the boy making it clear they were against his wishes.
“I would like to praise the victim for having the courage to come forward so that Lane could be held accountable for his despicable actions.
“I hope this bravery will encourage anyone else who is the victim of this type of offending to come forward in the knowledge that action will be taken and offenders will be prosecuted.”
If you have concerns about people who may be exploiting children sexually, contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email [email protected] or call 101.
In an emergency, if a child is in immediate danger, always call 999.
You can also report concerns directly to The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) at www.ceop.police.uk or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
For more support and advice contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 or visit [email protected].
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