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Latest news in Yorkshire: Published March 07, 2019 12:41:59 PM
A 26-year-old man received an additional five-year jail sentence
yesterday (Wednesday 6 March) after being convicted of further child
sexual exploitation offences in Rotherham.
Tom Steven Wilkes, formerly of Pitt Street, Rotherham, appeared at
Sheffield Crown Court to be sentenced. He pleaded guilty to sexual
assault of a child at an earlier hearing.
He was sentenced to five years in prison, which will run after his
current jail sentence.
Wilkes was jailed for ten years in November 2015 for multiple offences
committed against teenage girls in Rotherham.
The court heard how, as part of the police investigation into Wilkes’
sexual offending, officers examining digital devices identified another
teenage victim who had been groomed by Wilkes online.
He sent numerous, sexually explicit messages before convincing the
13-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to meet up.
When she met him, Wilkes sexually assaulted her.
PC Brett Thompson, the investigating officer, said: “Wilkes is a
dangerous, predatory individual who exploited and groomed a number of
teenage girls online.
“In this case, he told his victim he was much younger than he was,
saying he was 16 when he was in fact 21-years-old, duping her and luring
her to a secluded location so he could attack her.
“He was much bigger and stronger than the victim, so this must have been
a terrifying experience.
“The victim remains deeply affected by what happened to her and I
commend her for the bravery she has shown throughout our investigation.
She has received support from police and Independent Sexual Violence
Advocates (ISVAs) in the run up to these court proceedings, which for
any victim can be incredibly daunting.
“Wilkes has shown no remorse for his crimes and I hope this additional
sentencing demonstrates to the public that we are absolutely committed
to seeking justice for victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Wherever possible we will bring further evidence before the courts, to
keep dangerous individuals like Wilkes in prison for longer, where he
can cause no further harm.”
The prosecution and sentencing of Wilkes follows a joint investigation
with South Yorkshire Police and Rotherham Council. Cllr Chris Read,
Leader of Rotherham Council, said: “We continue to work in partnership
with South Yorkshire Police and the National Crime Agency to bring
perpetrators of this kind of crime to justice, whether this is through
current crimes or for those committed in the past. Child sexual
exploitation will not be tolerated in Rotherham.”
Anyone with concerns about child sexual exploitation should contact the
police on 101 or the national helpline Say Something on 116 000. Always
call 999 in an emergency.
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[tags attempted sexual exploitation, jail, rotherham]