MARTYN DUNN SENTENCED IN HAMPSHIRE FOR ONLINE CHILD SEX OFFENCES
A man named Martyn Dunn, aged 27, was involved in disturbing online sexual communications with minors in Hampshire.He was first caught when a mother discovered explicit messages on her 11-year-old daughter's phone, leading to his arrest.
After collecting evidence and conducting a police interview, authorities released Dunn while ongoing investigations continued for over a year.
Despite this, Dunn attempted to meet what he believed was a 14-year-old girl in person after engaging in graphic conversations about sex.
This profile was operated by a paedophile hunter group called TRAP, who then handed him over to the police.
Dunn was subsequently arrested and later sentenced to 10 months in prison.
During sentencing, Judge Peter Henry criticized Hampshire Police’s decision to release him initially, stating: "You committed the second offence while being investigated by the police and released." He questioned why Dunn was not charged when interviewed in the summer of 2018, noting, "I have absolutely no idea why when police had all the evidence they subsequently used." The judge emphasized that Dunn was aware that contacting children was illegal and should have been charged at that time, which might have prevented the second offence—though he acknowledged that this could not be certain.
Hampshire Police defended their decision, explaining that an early charge was inappropriate because investigators needed to gather all available evidence to ensure a thorough prosecution and fair disclosure for the defence.
A police spokesperson stated: "Investigating officers must collect all available material—whether it points towards a suspect or away.
This allows for fair disclosure and ensures the case is fully prepared before any charges are brought.
It is only once all lines of enquiry are complete that a case should be presented, and the high bar for early charges is rightfully maintained." Court proceedings at Southampton Crown Court revealed how Dunn was first arrested in April 2018 after exchanging sexual messages with an 11-year-old girl, which were later seen by her mother.
In January 2019, he was caught messaging what he believed to be a 14-year-old girl—who was actually a fake profile run by the paedophile hunter group TRAP.
Prosecutor Simon Foster explained that after weeks of messaging, Dunn agreed to travel over 60 miles from Southampton to Weymouth to meet the girl in June of the previous year.
He was arrested and charged following this attempt.
In his defense, John Dyer mentioned that Dunn has autism and described his messages as "naive." Dyer explained: "When talking to Emily, they discuss Weymouth, and his reply is that there are nice buses there.
He also sent a message saying he needed to go for a pee and asked if she liked trains." Dunn was also facing eviction from his supported living accommodation provided by Autism Hampshire in Southampton.
He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual communication with a child and one count of attempting to meet an underage girl through grooming.
He received a sentence of 10 months' imprisonment, was ordered to adhere to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, barred from working with children, and required to register as a sex offender for the next decade.
