JONATHAN SAUNDERS FROM YEOVIL SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN TAUNTON
| Red Rose Database
Yeovil Child Sexual Abuser
In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Yeovil, Jonathan Saunders, aged 22, was brought before Taunton Crown Court to face serious allegations related to child exploitation and possession of indecent images. Saunders, a civilian employee working at RNAS Yeovilton, was found to have engaged in disturbing online communications that revealed his intentions to sexually exploit a young girl.
According to court reports, Saunders initiated contact with an ex-girlfriend via the internet, sending her a series of messages through her mobile phone and messaging services. As their communication progressed, concerns grew over the explicit nature of the content he was sharing. The woman, alarmed by the sexually explicit messages and the suggestions Saunders made, decided to report the matter to the police.
Prosecutor Ian Dixey outlined that Saunders had asked his former partner whether she would be willing to have sex with a girl, and even proposed tying up and gagging the victim while filming her. On March 16, Saunders sent a message claiming he had located a ten-year-old girl, supposedly through online contact with her mother. The court was told that Saunders believed he was serious about finding young girls for sexual purposes and had sought her assistance in this.
Following the police investigation, Saunders was arrested on March 19. During police interviews, he admitted to having some sexually explicit images on his computer, including a photograph of the girl he had mentioned. He also acknowledged that he had contacted other women, particularly those with daughters, claiming to be a photographer interested in taking pictures of young girls and describing various sexual fantasies.
Further examination of Saunders' digital devices revealed that he possessed a total of 286 indecent images of girls. These images ranged from level one to level four, with five classified as 'extremely pornographic' at level five. Some of these highly explicit images had been viewed and then deleted, making recovery impossible. Saunders also confessed to attempting to arrange sexual activity with a child, which compounded the severity of his offences.
Defense lawyer Ben Tabiner argued that Saunders had been fantasizing and that his actions were a manifestation of dangerous fantasies rather than real intentions. He emphasized that Saunders did not expect any of these acts to occur in reality and that he had no plans to pursue such behavior further. The lawyer suggested that Saunders was a man in need of community help and that his life was now over the course of these actions.
Judge Peter Towler summarized the case, noting that Saunders had admitted to 14 separate offences. These included seven counts of downloading indecent photographs of young girls, six counts of possessing highly explicit images, and the most serious charge of attempting to arrange sexual activity with a girl aged 11. The messages Saunders sent to a 19-year-old woman indicated he had engaged in similar activities before, further illustrating his pattern of disturbing behavior.
While acknowledging that this was a case of fantasy rather than actual criminal activity, the judge pointed out that if Saunders had gone further and filmed any acts, the sentence could have exceeded four years. Taking into account Saunders' age, lack of previous convictions, and his apparent remorse, the court decided on a sentence of two years and 39 weeks in prison. Additionally, Saunders was placed under a Sexual Offences Prevention Order and ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities.
According to court reports, Saunders initiated contact with an ex-girlfriend via the internet, sending her a series of messages through her mobile phone and messaging services. As their communication progressed, concerns grew over the explicit nature of the content he was sharing. The woman, alarmed by the sexually explicit messages and the suggestions Saunders made, decided to report the matter to the police.
Prosecutor Ian Dixey outlined that Saunders had asked his former partner whether she would be willing to have sex with a girl, and even proposed tying up and gagging the victim while filming her. On March 16, Saunders sent a message claiming he had located a ten-year-old girl, supposedly through online contact with her mother. The court was told that Saunders believed he was serious about finding young girls for sexual purposes and had sought her assistance in this.
Following the police investigation, Saunders was arrested on March 19. During police interviews, he admitted to having some sexually explicit images on his computer, including a photograph of the girl he had mentioned. He also acknowledged that he had contacted other women, particularly those with daughters, claiming to be a photographer interested in taking pictures of young girls and describing various sexual fantasies.
Further examination of Saunders' digital devices revealed that he possessed a total of 286 indecent images of girls. These images ranged from level one to level four, with five classified as 'extremely pornographic' at level five. Some of these highly explicit images had been viewed and then deleted, making recovery impossible. Saunders also confessed to attempting to arrange sexual activity with a child, which compounded the severity of his offences.
Defense lawyer Ben Tabiner argued that Saunders had been fantasizing and that his actions were a manifestation of dangerous fantasies rather than real intentions. He emphasized that Saunders did not expect any of these acts to occur in reality and that he had no plans to pursue such behavior further. The lawyer suggested that Saunders was a man in need of community help and that his life was now over the course of these actions.
Judge Peter Towler summarized the case, noting that Saunders had admitted to 14 separate offences. These included seven counts of downloading indecent photographs of young girls, six counts of possessing highly explicit images, and the most serious charge of attempting to arrange sexual activity with a girl aged 11. The messages Saunders sent to a 19-year-old woman indicated he had engaged in similar activities before, further illustrating his pattern of disturbing behavior.
While acknowledging that this was a case of fantasy rather than actual criminal activity, the judge pointed out that if Saunders had gone further and filmed any acts, the sentence could have exceeded four years. Taking into account Saunders' age, lack of previous convictions, and his apparent remorse, the court decided on a sentence of two years and 39 weeks in prison. Additionally, Saunders was placed under a Sexual Offences Prevention Order and ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities.