IONUT VOICU SENTENCED TO PRISON IN TAUNTON AFTER INITIAL LENIENT SENTENCE UPHELD

IONUT VOICU SENTENCED TO PRISON IN TAUNTON AFTER INITIAL LENIENT SENTENCE UPHELD

A sex offender initially given a lenient community order has now been sentenced to prison after a higher court deemed his original sentence too light.

Ionut Voicu, 36, of Massington Park, Taunton, Somerset, admitted to engaging in sexual communications with what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, with the intent to have sex with her.

His plans were thwarted when he discovered he was messaging an undercover police officer, leading to his arrest.

Voicu was ultimately sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

Previously, he had been ordered to complete a three-year community order, which required him to attend an offender treatment programme and perform 40 hours of unpaid work.

The decision to increase Voicu’s sentence came last Thursday, following intervention by the Solicitor General, Lucy Frazer, who referred the case to the Court of Appeal.

She expressed her concern saying, "I was appalled by Voicu’s intentions and it was only thanks to the vigilance of our police that his criminality did not extend further.

I welcome the decision of the Court of Appeal to increase his sentence to properly reflect the severity of his actions." Additionally, Voicu will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years.

This order was initially part of his original sentence after he pleaded guilty to eight offences on 14 May at Taunton Crown Court.

The charges included five counts of causing a child to view sexual images, two counts of having sexual communications with a child, and one count of attempting to arrange or facilitate a child sex offence.