ANDREW SAMBROOKS SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN THAME

In a significant case brought to justice by Thames Valley Police, Andrew Sambrooks, a 38-year-old man from Youens Drive in Thame, has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term of 12 years for a series of serious sexual offences involving minors. The sentencing took place at Aylesbury Crown Court on Monday, November 26, 2018, marking a decisive outcome in a case that uncovered disturbing criminal behavior.

In addition to his prison sentence, Sambrooks was subjected to an extended two-year licence period, during which he will be under strict supervision and monitoring. Furthermore, he has been ordered to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life, a measure designed to protect the community from potential future harm. The court also imposed a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) against him, restricting his activities and contact with minors to prevent any further offenses.

Sambrooks pleaded guilty to a comprehensive list of charges that detailed his involvement in heinous acts. These included three counts of creating indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child, categorized as A, B, and C, reflecting the severity of the images involved. He also admitted to distributing such indecent images on three separate occasions, again spanning categories A, B, and C.

The court heard that Sambrooks attempted to incite and cause the sexual exploitation of minors aged between 13 and 17 on multiple counts. Specifically, he was charged with attempting to cause or incite sexual exploitation in three instances, as well as causing or inciting such exploitation on two occasions involving children in that age group. His actions extended to attempting to persuade a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity involving penetration, and he was also found guilty of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Further charges included causing or inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to participate in sexual activities without penetration, as well as attempting to incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in non-penetrative sexual acts. The breadth of his offending underscores the serious nature of his crimes and the threat posed to vulnerable minors.

The investigation was led by Detective Constable Becky Tyler of Force CID, who provided insight into the case. She explained that Sambrooks was first arrested on July 2, 2015, after Thames Valley Police received credible information indicating his online contact with underage females. During the arrest, authorities seized multiple electronic devices from his residence, which were found to contain indecent images of children across all categories A, B, and C.

Detective Tyler also revealed that evidence showed Sambrooks had contacted girls aged between 12 and 15 via Facebook during 2015. He had used an alias account, falsely presenting himself as an 18-year-old man to establish contact with these minors. The investigation culminated in charges being formally brought against him on July 26, 2018, leading to his eventual conviction and sentencing.

This case highlights the ongoing efforts of Thames Valley Police to combat online child exploitation and protect vulnerable children from predators like Andrew Sambrooks, whose actions have now been met with the full weight of the law.