Sex offender who abused teenager jailed

SEX OFFENDER WHO ABUSED TEENAGER JAILED

A man who initially avoided imprisonment for grooming and sexually abusing a teenage girl has now been incarcerated after his original sentence was deemed too lenient.

Peter Pottle, aged 32, from Paper Mill Lane in Taverham near Norwich, was sentenced in September by Norwich’s crown court to two years in prison, suspended for two years.

However, after the Solicitor General Ellie Reeves referred the case to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme, his sentence was reviewed.

The Court of Appeal overturned the original sentence on Thursday and sentenced Pottle to four and a half years behind bars.

Ms Reeves described Pottle’s conduct as "despicable," highlighting that he methodically groomed a young girl, initiating contact through online conversations before escalating his actions to sexual abuse.

The offense began in 2016, shortly before the victim’s 13th birthday.

Pottle communicated with her online and frequently drove to meet her near her home, according to the Attorney General’s office.

He coerced her into sharing indecent images, shared indecent images of himself, and ultimately engaged in sexual abuse.

In 2020, Pottle used an alias to send and solicit sexual images and threatened the victim to delete messages and accounts.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child and one charge of sexual communication with a child.

The victim’s personal statement revealed that she has difficulty trusting others, which has negatively affected her relationships with friends and family.

Despite the change in sentence, a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and a 10-year restraining order initially imposed still remain in effect.

The Court of Appeal ordered Pottle to surrender to Norfolk Police by midday on Friday.