A Melksham paedophile has been jailed after being found guilty of sexual activity with a child and admitting to sexual communication with a child.
Andrew Dyke, 33, was found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child in September 2019, after first communicating with the child online in April 2019.
He also admitted to one count of sexual communication with a child and two counts of attempted sexual communication with a child over a six month period between March 2019 and September 2019.
He was sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court today (4 October), where he was handed two seven-year sentences for two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child, to be served concurrently.
He was also given a 12-month custodial sentence for three counts of sexual communication with a child – also to be served concurrently.
Additionally, he will be placed on the Sexual Offenders register, be subject to a restraining order and have to forfeit his mobile phone.
DC Graham Mansell said: “I welcome this sentencing, as it reflects the seriousness of these offences and the impact they have had on the children involved and their families.
“Andrew Dyke sought to take advantage of a child’s naivety and vulnerability, gaining their trust and arranging multiple meetings for sexual activity. Andrew Dyke met his victims online, chatting with them via social media and quickly beginning very sexually graphic communication with them.
“He managed to lure one child to several meetings, before that child realised what was being done to them was illegal.
“I’d like to thank the victim for their bravery in coming forward, along with their family, and recounting what is obviously a distressing time in their life. Their ability to do this brought this matter to the attention of the Police which ultimately concluded in convicting Dyke for his crimes.
“I’d also like to thank the members of the jury, who had to face the evidence of the case and without whom offenders like Dyke could not be brought to justice.
“Thankfully crimes of this nature are rare, but it serves as an important reminder of the risks involved with children using social media, communicating with people they don’t know and being taken advantage of by people who seek to sexually abuse children.
“I would like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who may have been a victim of sex abuse to report it to police.
“We will investigate, provide you with the full support you need, and do all that we can to bring such offenders to justice.”
