SIMON WEBB OF CHIPPENHAM SENTENCED TO FOUR YEARS FOR UNDERAGE SEX IN JANUARY 2010

In January 2010, Simon Webb, a resident of Chippenham, was sentenced to four years in prison for engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl and causing her to become pregnant.

Webb had previously avoided a prison sentence in 2004 after admitting to having sex with a minor he met through the internet. Despite this, in 2008, Webb formed a friendship with the then-14-year-old girl when she was passing by his home, wearing her school uniform.

The relationship grew after they exchanged words in the street and went to the cinema together. Webb then invited her into his house when it was empty, and the pair engaged in sexual activity on two occasions.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that the girl had started to behave disruptively at home and wanted to stop going to school. Her mother, concerned because her daughter had always been a diligent student, repeatedly questioned her about her behavior. The girl eventually revealed she was pregnant.

The girl provided an open account to police regarding her relationship with Webb, stating she had told him her age. Webb admitted during police interviews that he had sex with her, and Mr. Meeke noted that he appeared 'nonchalant' when informed of her pregnancy. Webb maintained he was unaware she was under-age at the time.

It was established that by the time she disclosed her pregnancy, it was well advanced, and she carried the pregnancy to full term before returning to school following childbirth.

Webb, formerly residing on Brook Street in Chippenham, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child involving conduct between early April and late July of the previous year. Although he was scheduled for a trial on the new charges, he changed his plea before jury selection.

Defence counsel Virginia Cornwall stated that Webb had not targeted the girl and was not a sexual predator, emphasizing that their relationship developed after they met casually in the street. She argued that despite the girl being underage, the sexual activity was consensual and part of their relationship. Ms. Cornwall also pointed out that the pregnancy was not unwanted; the girl’s family took the baby in and showed it love, which she suggested was a significant factor in considering the case.

Ms. Cornwall highlighted Webb's learning difficulties, noting his struggles in school and vulnerability, which she claimed would make him susceptible in prison.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge McNaught emphasized the seriousness of the offence, citing Webb’s failure to use contraception resulting in pregnancy as a serious aggravating feature. He also referenced Webb’s prior conviction in 2004 for a similar offence involving an underage girl, committed when Webb was 19.

The judge sentenced Webb to four years in prison, banned him from working with children for life, mandated registration as a sex offender, and imposed a sexual offences prevention order restricting his liberty.

Additionally, Webb had been placed on probation in 2004 after an incident in September 2002, where he took a 14-year-old girl, whom he contacted via email and text, to Westbury White Horse and engaged in sexual activity with her. At that time, he was 19 and was subsequently given a two-year probation order, with the court noting his immaturity and low risk of re-offending.