A man who had sex with a teenage girl has been has been handed a three-year community order.
Anthony Abel, 22 and of Bournemouth, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child. He was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court today, Friday 18 March 2016.
He was also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years and handed a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
The court heard that Abel had sex with his 15-year-old victim on two occasions and that he knew the victim’s age.
An examination of Abel’s phone following his arrest found a large number of text messages suggesting sexual activity with his victim.
Detective Constable Mandy Brimicombe, of Dorset Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “Abel had sex with the 15-year-old girl despite being fully aware of her age.
“If you or someone you know is suffering from sexual abuse or exploitation I hope this case will give you the courage to come forward and report it. We will thoroughly investigate such offences, we will safeguard victims and we will bring offenders to justice.”
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a form of child abuse that involves the manipulation or coercion of young people to engage in sexual activity in exchange for money, accommodation, affection or status and gifts including alcohol, tobacco and drugs.
Help can be found through a number of professional organisations, such as Stop it Now! of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.
For more information:
Local Authority Children’s Social Care:
Bournemouth: 01202 456900
Poole: 01202 735046
Dorset: https://www.dorsetforyou.com/393713
For more information visit:
- Barnardos https://www.barnardos.org.uk
- NSPCC 0808 800 5000
[email protected]
www.nspcc.org.uk/childsexualexploitation - National Helpline for male victims of CSE 07808 863 662
- UK safer internet centre website. www.saferinternet.org.uk
- Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre. www.ceop.police.uk
- CEOP resources suitable for parents and children of different ages. www.thinkuknow.co.uk
- www.stopitnow.org.uk
- www.internetmatters.org