Sex offender who abused teenager jailed after appeal

A man who was spared jail for grooming and sexually abusing a teenage girl has been sent to prison after his original sentence was deemed unduly lenient.

Peter Pottle, 32, of Paper Mill Lane, Taverham, near Norwich, had been given a two-year sentence, suspended for two years, at the city's crown court in September.

Solicitor general Ellie Reeves - who referred his case to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme - said Pottle's crimes were "despicable".

The court quashed his sentence on Thursday and jailed him for four-and-a-half years.

Reeves said Pottle "calculatedly groomed a young teenager, starting with conversations online before moving on to more serious sexual abuse".

He met the victim in 2016, shortly before her 13th birthday, and began conversing with her online and would drive to meet her close to her home, the office of the attorney general said.

He encouraged the teenager to share indecent images, and he shared indecent images of himself, before increasing his offending to sexual abuse.

In 2020, he used an alias to send and request sexual images before threatening the victim to delete accounts and messages between the pair.

He had admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child and a charge of sexual communication with a child.

In a personal statement, the victim said she struggled with trust, and it had impacted her relationships with friends and family.

A 10-year sexual harm prevention order and 10-year restraining order, included in Pottle's original sentence, still apply.

The Court of Appeal ruling said Pottle must surrender to Norfolk Police by midday on Friday.

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