A 31-year-old man from Hemel Hempstead has been jailed for seven years today (Friday, February 22) for sex offences involving two young boys.
Anthony Turner’s crimes came to light after he had taken a 15-year-old boy into his Hemel flat who was on the run from a children’s home in Lancashire.
Police discovered the youngster had been a regular visitor to Turner’s flat before he was placed in the care home.
As a result, Herts Police were able to locate the boy near the flat and Turner was arrested.
It was then discovered from an examination of Turner’s laptop that he had taken indecent images of the boy, plus more pictures of himself performing a sex offence on another 13-year-old boy.
At Luton Crown Court today (February 22) Turner, 31, from Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual activity with a child under 16, taking a child without lawful authority, taking indecent photos of a child, distributing indecent photos of a child, six offences of possessing indecent images and possessing cannabis.
Turner had met the 15-year-old boy when he had been one of the managers at the Toby Carvery in Hemel Hempstead.
The defendant had been at the rear of the building smoking during a break and gave the youngster and a friend a cigarette each.
Judge Andrew Bright QC, hearing the case, was told the boy had a troubled background and difficult family life which led to him eventually being placed in a residential children’s care home in the north of England.
Prosecutor Peter Shaw said it was on June 26, 2016 when the boy went missing from the home.
He had been in touch with the defendant, who had agreed to drive and collect the youngster to bring him back to his flat in Hemel Hempstead.
Police enquiries led them to the boy, and Turner was arrested.
The court heard that when officers examined the various devices belonging to Turner, they discovered he had taken indecent intimate photographs of the boy.
As they delved deeper, they discovered more photographs he had taken of himself performing a sexual offence on the boy.
Police also found a quantity of cannabis Turner had at the flat for his personal use plus indecent images he had downloaded.
The court was told Turner was remorseful for what he’d done and wants help to tackle the problems which led to him offending.
Judge Bright jailed him for a total of seven years and said he hoped that while in prison Turner would be given the help and support to deal with his underlying problems.
He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and told his name would go on the sex offenders’ register for life.
0 Comments