'High-risk' paedophile from Devon jailed after sexually abusing girl, 9

A man from Devon has been jailed for almost five years for grooming and sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl.

Adrian Browers, of Heavitree Road, Exeter, hugged and touched the girl sexually, as well as inciting her to engage in sexual behaviour in 2017 on at least three occasions.

The building site worker was assigned a probation officer and police offender manager as part of a community order given in 2020 after images of child abuse were found on his computer.

He admitted sexual contact with a child during a meeting with the probation officers.

'This was an appalling series of attacks on a vulnerable nine-year old girl'

The 49-year-old was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court to four years and nine months after the court heard evidence of Browers posing a ‘risk to young girls’.

Judge James Townsend said: "This was an appalling series of attacks on a vulnerable nine-year-old girl.

"You abused her on a number of occasions and it must have taken courage for her to disclose what happened to her.

"The effect of the attacks have been very substantial. It has been made all the worse because the case has dragged on for a long time. One can only hope she can move on and recover."

Browers was branded a ‘high-risk paedophile’ when he appeared at court.

The victim told her parents what had happened and police investigated but the case was dropped until Browers let slip what he had done to a probation officer.

The case was then reopened and he was convicted after admitting four sexual offences against the child.

'You plainly represent a risk to young girls'

Prosecutor Mr Ian Fenny said there was obvious planning and evidence of grooming the child.

Searches made by Browers on his device in 2020 showed he had a clear sexual interest in young girls.

The judge said delays in the case were the fault of the defendant for not owning up to what he had done at an earlier stage.

He said: "You plainly demonstrate a sexual interest in young girls and you are prepared to act upon those urges.

"You plainly represent a risk to young girls. You represent a continuing risk and a determinant sentence would not address that adequately because of the unpredictable nature of that risk."

Mr Harry Ahuja, defending, said Browers was very sorry for what he had done. He had not committed any further offences and had been doing well on a Sexual Harm Prevention Order made in 2020.

He said justice would be better served with Browers completing a sex offender programme and the judge could suspend the sentence to allow that.

Browers must serve at least two thirds of his four years and nine month term in prison before he is considered for release.

He must serve the remainder of his extended sentence on licence.

The defendant was told to sign the sex offender register and made the subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.