'Calculated' Bristol paedophile jailed for sexually abusing nine children

Thomas Rawlings has been jailed for 12 years. Credit: Avon and Somerset Police

A paedophile who groomed vulnerable young girls before sexually abusing them has been jailed.

Thomas Rawlings, from Lockleaze, committed sex offences against nine children over a three-year period.

He lied to children about his age to make them believe they were in a genuine relationship with him before going on to abuse them.

The 35-year-old, who booked hotel rooms across the country to meet one of his victims, was described as a dangerous, obsessed and persistent paedophile by a judge at Bristol Crown Court.

Some of his victims have been left feeling suicidal.

Rawlings admitted 33 charges including: causing or inciting a girl aged 13-15 to engage in sexual activity; taking, making (downloading) and possession of indecent images of children; paying for the sexual services of a child aged 16-17; and engaging in sexual communication with a child and breach of a sexual offences prevention order.

He was jailed for 12 years and will spend an additional 10 years on licence.

During the sentencing hearing at Bristol Crown Court, Judge Patrick said Rawlings targeted young people for sexual gratification and a feeling of power.

He added: “You scared your child victims and caused them emotional torment. You ripped families apart.

Rawlings groomed and exploited his vulnerable victims, making out he was up to 20 years younger than he really was.

He was already a registered sex offender, having been first convicted in 2012 of making (downloading) indecent images of children between 2009 and 2011.

Rawlings was made the subject of a device-focused sexual offences protection order in 2012, which gave police the power to examine his devices and ensured he retained his search history.

In November last year, Rawlings was arrested on suspicion of causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of girls in connection with his relationship with four girls aged 14-16.

The subsequent forensic examination of his devices led to another sexual offences protection order being sought with a child victim focus in December 2020 in order to protect one of the children he was suspected of harming and to stop him from contacting or harming others.

Following Rawlings’ arrest, a 17-year-old victim made contact with the police concerned for the welfare of her ‘boyfriend’ who she believed to be 20-years-old. Her contact with him started when she was just 13-years-old and Rawlings led her to believe he was 14-years- old at that time.

At first the contact was online but it later progressed to physical meetings. Rawlings travelled to various parts of the country and booked hotels for them to meet in, grooming and exploiting her into a sexual relationship with him.

Unknown to the victim, Rawlings was also in a ‘relationship’ with another child who was 14 when he first made contact with her and who believed he was 18-years-old.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Adam Knee from the Internet Child Abuse Team praised the victims for showing "incredible bravery and resilience".

He added: “I would also like to praise the efforts of the Investigating officer Martin Parsons, supported by PC Mel Furey and DS Helen Holt and many others. The evidence they gathered against Rawlings was so overwhelming that his guilty plea was through lack of choice rather than remorse.”

Officer in the case Martin Parsons was given a Crown Court Commendation by the judge in recognition of the vast amount of work which went into identifying Rawlings’s victims.

Judge Patrick said: “A dangerous paedophile has been quickly identified, arrested, charged and sentenced.

"The amount of work that Martin Parsons has undertaken is obvious. It is easy to forget the distressing nature of the things with which he has had to deal. He is to be commended for what he has achieved.”