PETER MILLS FROM WEYMOUTH RECEIVES SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF YOUNG GIRL IN DORCHESTER
| Red Rose Database
Weymouth Child Sexual Abuser
In a case that has sparked widespread outrage, Peter Mills, an 18-year-old resident of Weymouth, was sentenced after admitting to serious sexual offenses involving a young girl. The incident has left the victim’s family and the local community deeply disturbed and questioning the justice system’s response.
Peter John Michael Mills faced charges related to the sexual assault of a girl under the age of 13. The court heard that Mills had engaged in inappropriate touching of the same girl during two separate periods. The first set of offenses occurred between August 23, 2006, and August 22, 2007, when the victim was just six years old. The second period of offending took place between August 23, 2009, and January 1, 2010, when she was nine. These disturbing acts have left a lasting impact on the young girl, who was only a child at the time of the abuse.
During the hearing at Dorchester Crown Court, prosecutor Heather Shimmen revealed that a pre-sentence report had classified Mills as posing a 'high risk to pre-pubescent girls.' This assessment has only added to the community’s concern about the potential danger Mills might still pose. The report’s findings have been met with disbelief and anger from the victim’s mother, who expressed her frustration and disappointment with the court’s decision.
She stated, “I just think it’s absolutely outrageous. The report said he was a high risk to pre-pubescent girls and we’re thinking: ‘How can he possibly be given a suspended sentence?’ It’s worrying that they think he’s high risk and he’s out and about. Nobody knows what he’s up to and the next time anybody is going to know may be when he’s done something to somebody else. I just don’t think it’s proper justice for my daughter.”
Miss Shimmen also shared that the girl, now aged 11, finally confided in her mother around Christmas 2009. Following her disclosure, her mother was encouraged to involve the police, which led to Mills’ arrest. During police interviews, Mills, who was between 13 and 14 years old at the time of the first offense and 16 during the second, admitted to the charges.
In mitigation, Tim Shorter, representing Mills, explained that his client suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Asperger’s syndrome. He emphasized that these conditions should be taken into account when considering Mills’ behavior and the nature of his offending. Shorter stated, “He did accept it was wrong but the degree of ‘wrongness’ was perhaps under-assessed by him.”
Judge Roger Jarvis sentenced Mills to 50 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months. Additionally, Mills was placed under a 12-month supervision order and was subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with children. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for the next ten years. The judge described Mills’ actions as ‘disgraceful behavior’ and emphasized that, despite his medical conditions, Mills knew right from wrong.
Following the sentencing, the victim’s mother expressed her dismay, saying, “We knew he wasn’t going to get a long sentence but maybe some time in prison might have scared the hell out of him. He could have wrecked my daughter’s life. We’re sorting out counseling for her but she was so young when it started who knows how it’s going to affect her. Yet he’s just going to get on with life and it’s like he’s got away with it, it’s just a slap on the wrists.”
Peter John Michael Mills faced charges related to the sexual assault of a girl under the age of 13. The court heard that Mills had engaged in inappropriate touching of the same girl during two separate periods. The first set of offenses occurred between August 23, 2006, and August 22, 2007, when the victim was just six years old. The second period of offending took place between August 23, 2009, and January 1, 2010, when she was nine. These disturbing acts have left a lasting impact on the young girl, who was only a child at the time of the abuse.
During the hearing at Dorchester Crown Court, prosecutor Heather Shimmen revealed that a pre-sentence report had classified Mills as posing a 'high risk to pre-pubescent girls.' This assessment has only added to the community’s concern about the potential danger Mills might still pose. The report’s findings have been met with disbelief and anger from the victim’s mother, who expressed her frustration and disappointment with the court’s decision.
She stated, “I just think it’s absolutely outrageous. The report said he was a high risk to pre-pubescent girls and we’re thinking: ‘How can he possibly be given a suspended sentence?’ It’s worrying that they think he’s high risk and he’s out and about. Nobody knows what he’s up to and the next time anybody is going to know may be when he’s done something to somebody else. I just don’t think it’s proper justice for my daughter.”
Miss Shimmen also shared that the girl, now aged 11, finally confided in her mother around Christmas 2009. Following her disclosure, her mother was encouraged to involve the police, which led to Mills’ arrest. During police interviews, Mills, who was between 13 and 14 years old at the time of the first offense and 16 during the second, admitted to the charges.
In mitigation, Tim Shorter, representing Mills, explained that his client suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Asperger’s syndrome. He emphasized that these conditions should be taken into account when considering Mills’ behavior and the nature of his offending. Shorter stated, “He did accept it was wrong but the degree of ‘wrongness’ was perhaps under-assessed by him.”
Judge Roger Jarvis sentenced Mills to 50 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months. Additionally, Mills was placed under a 12-month supervision order and was subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with children. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for the next ten years. The judge described Mills’ actions as ‘disgraceful behavior’ and emphasized that, despite his medical conditions, Mills knew right from wrong.
Following the sentencing, the victim’s mother expressed her dismay, saying, “We knew he wasn’t going to get a long sentence but maybe some time in prison might have scared the hell out of him. He could have wrecked my daughter’s life. We’re sorting out counseling for her but she was so young when it started who knows how it’s going to affect her. Yet he’s just going to get on with life and it’s like he’s got away with it, it’s just a slap on the wrists.”