Man jailed for sexual offences against children in Hemel Hempstead

Anthony Turner, aged 31, formerly of Camden House, Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, pleaded guilty to the following charges:

- Two counts of sexual activity with a child

- One count of child abduction

- Two counts of possession of Category A images and videos

- Two counts of taking and distributing a Category C image

- Four counts of possession of Category B and C images and videos

- One count of possession of cannabis

Luton Crown Court heard how Turner had befriended his main victim, a vulnerable teenage boy, in Hemel Hempstead in June 2016.

Turner gave the boy – who was aged 15 at the time – gifts in the form of money, alcohol, cigarettes, cannabis, clothing, food and mobile phones. He also gave him lifts to places, and on one occasion persuaded the victim to get on his lap while he was in the drivers’ seat.

He encouraged the boy to visit his flat and play on his games console until the early hours of the morning, as well as sleep in his bed. He also gave him cannabis and alcohol which caused him to pass out.

Turner then sexually assaulted the victim and took indecent images of him while he was sleeping before sharing them with others via a messaging app.

During the abuse period, the victim was placed in a care home in Lancashire. Turner travelled to the home on June 26, 2016 and abducted the boy before driving him back to his flat in Hemel Hempstead, where he continued the abuse.

Officers arrested Turner on June 29, 2016 after intelligence was received around his inappropriate conduct with the victim.

As part of the investigation, Turner’s electronic devices were seized and their content downloaded. Officers found nearly 400 indecent images and videos of children – 55 of which were Category A, the most serious – including indecent images of the victim.

Some of the images dated back to 2011, and after further investigation a second victim was identified. He was a teenage boy aged 13 at the time of the offences. Turner plied the victim with alcohol until he passed out, before taking indecent images of him while he was unconscious.

Detective Constable Evelyn Ahmadi, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, said: “Turner callously targeted his victims when they were at their most vulnerable and exploited them for his own sexual gratification. Turner has shown himself to be a danger to children and gained his victims’ trust, plying them with drugs and alcohol, in order to satisfy his disturbing urges.

“Hertfordshire Constabulary is committed to tackling all allegations of sexual abuse against children. I hope today’s court result gives the victims some form of closure so they can now move forward with their lives.”

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order has also been granted, the conditions of which mean Turner is unable to:

- Own or use any devices with internet access unless he agrees to have risk management software installed and make them available to officers on request

- Remove or tamper with the aforementioned risk management software

- Block/change/delete his internet history or use ‘private browsing’ functions

- Own a device capable of storing digital images unless he agrees to make them available to officers on request

- Communicate with, work with or be in the sole presence of a child under 18 without an appropriate adult present and prior approval of a supervising officer

- Use any chat room, instant messaging service, social media, email service, dating sites or online gaming without written consent from officers

- Reside, either temporarily or permanently, in a dwelling where a child under 18 is present

> Turner’s name will be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register until further notice and he has also been ordered to pay a victim surcharge.