Berkshire child sex offender jailed
The offences all occurred in the past five years in various locations, including outdoor locations in Berkshire
A man has been jailed for child sex offences in Berkshire.
Dean Yates, aged 34, from Reading, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with an extended five years on licence at Reading Crown Court yesterday (31/7).
He was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and will be on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Yates pleaded guilty to two counts each of sexual assault, making indecent photographs of a child, causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one count each of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, possessing an extreme pornographic image and distributing indecent photographs of a child in previous hearings at the same court.
The first victim was a young teenage girl, who was contacted by Yates using an alias profile on social media.
He harassed and pressured her into sending an indecent image of herself.
Once he had this image, Yates blackmailed her into send more explicit content, threatening to send the existing images he had to her family and friends if she did not comply.
The victim was told by the alias account to add a man named ‘Dean Yates’ on social media.
The alias account told her she must meet up with Dean and peform sexual acts and record these and send videos to him.
The victim never did this, and she reported the offences to police.
The second victim was identified after a warrant was conducted at Yates’s home address and a number of electronic devices were seized.
Evidence was located on Yates’s phone of further indecent images and videos of a number of young girls.
One of them was identified and she explained that she had befriended an account on social media who acquired indecent images of her by accessing her own account.
She was also compelled to send more images and videos and was forced into meeting with Yates, who sexually touched her without consent. She was also made to touch him.
Yates was charged on 27 June last year.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Rachel Belsher, of Reading CID, said:
“Yates’ behaviour towards these two young victims was absolutely abhorrent.
“He used social media to stalk and harass his victims, forcing them to meet him, and in some cases, perform sexual acts.
“He used the possession of images that he procured as a method of coercing his victims into meeting with him for his own sexual gratification.
“He identified himself to victims, who courageously reported him to the police.
“Over the course of this lengthy investigation, his victims have displayed dignity and patience while we gathered the evidence necessary to bring him to justice.
“I would like to thank the victims and the witnesses involved for their bravery in supporting our investigation.
“Yates’ will also have to sign the sex offenders’ register as a result of his actions, and has a lengthy term of imprisonment to reflect upon his actions.”