27-year-old-man sentenced at Dungannon Crown Court for sexual assault of child under 13

Today, Friday 16th December, a 27 year old man was sentenced at Dungannon Crown Court for sexual assault of a child under 13, possession of an indecent image of child and perverting the course of justice.

 Following a guilty plea, the man, who cannot be named in order to protect the victim’s identity, will serve 1 year 5 months in prison and 1 year 5 months on license. He will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and will be subjected to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for 10 years.

 Detective Chief Inspector Heather Campbell said:  “This man’s online behaviour triggered Police intelligence systems, which led to his arrest and his mobile phone being seized. He was later charged for child abuse related offences.

 “We have a dedicated team of specially trained officers within the Police Service who remain determined to bring anyone involved in any form of child abuse before the courts to be made amenable for their crimes. 

 “We treat victims and their families with the upmost respect and sensitivity and will work closely with them, even in challenging circumstances, to support them in any way they can.

 “We use specialist technology to detect digital devices, to make it difficult for offenders to hide evidence from the police.

 "We will continue proactively targeting those who abuse children and  I would encourage anyone with concerns or information to get in contact us on 101 or 999 in an emergency. We will act on the information we receive.”