SENTENCING STATEMENTS

"You were considerably older than each of your victims. They were teenagers; you were an adult in your mid 30s at the time. You knew how young they were, and you knew they were school children because you were the driver of the bus they took to school each day.

"You took advantage of the access that gave by befriending, or trying to befriend, your victims and you abused your position of trust.

"Amongst other charges the jury convicted you of, in effect, grooming the younger of your victims which led to your repeatedly sexually assaulting them over a period of several months. That came to light when the other victim reported similar attempts to contact them leading to the police investigation and your arrest.

"In determining sentence, I have had regard to all that was said on your behalf, and to the social isolation and loneliness you say you felt following the breakdown of your marriage. That is also reflected in the Justice Social Work (JSW) report prepared for this morning’s hearing which confirms your position at trial – that you deny the most serious of the sexual offending as well as the offending against your second victim.

"The JSW report identifies that you have limited insight into the impact of your behaviour on your victims and that you do not acknowledge that there was coercion and manipulation of your first victim was over a sustained period of time designed to meet your sexual needs.

"Significantly, the report assesses you as likely to pose a high risk of serious harm when you are eventually liberated and that your coercive and manipulative behaviour, along with isolation, lack of social supports and what it describes as your sexual attraction to children will require a period of post release supervision.

"I have also had regard to the relevant sentencing guidelines, including the guidelines on rape, which require that I balance the need to protect the public, punish offenders and mark the court’s disapproval of behaviour such as yours, alongside issues of rehabilitation and the opportunity to make amends. In your case although you have no previous convictions, given the totality of your behaviour only a custodial sentence is appropriate.

"I am also satisfied that given the assessed level of risk the normal period of licence would not be adequate to protect the public from the risk of serious harm you present. I will therefore impose an extended sentence.

"In your case there are a number of aggravating factors – including the gross breach of trust, your repeated offending against your victims, the location and timing of the offending, which included using a toilet in a bus you had been driving and on another occasion in a car on the hard shoulder of a motorway, and that, on a number of occasions, you ejaculated.

"There are few mitigating factors other than the points I have already mentioned.

"Before I explain the total cumulo sentence, I'm required to state what the sentences would have been if each offences stood alone:

"Charge 5 – a charge of what is colloquially referred to as grooming a child under the age of 16 years on a single occasion – 1 year’s custody.

"Charge 6 – a charge of sexual communication with a child under the age of 16, over several months, which included sending indecent images of yourself – 1 years.

"Charge 7 – a charge involving rapes and sexual assaults over a period of 6 months on various occasions and in various locations – 7 years.

"Charge 8 – a charge involving repeated sexual assaults of the same child over the same period including by penetration and which, in effect, are the same incidents as charged in charge 7. Had they stood alone the sentence would have been 4 years.

"Charge 10 – as with charge 6 this was a charge of sexual communication over a period of months but the victim in this charge was aged 16 or over – 1 years.

"I require to adjust the overall sentence to reflect the principle that it should be no more severe than is necessary to meet the principles and purposes of sentencing. In addition, given the way the Crown laid these charges it is important that I avoid double counting the incidents so, in effect, charge 8 is subsumed into charge 7 as they are the same incidents, just charged under a different section.

"Having regard to all of that, the total custodial period will be 8 years.

Accordingly, the overall sentence will be 11 years comprising a custodial sentence of 8 years and an extension 3 years. It will be backdated to the date of your remand on 8 May 2026.

"The Crown seeks a Non-Harassment Order in relation to each of your victims and these are not opposed by you.

"Accordingly in relation to each of them you will not, for an indefinite period contact, approach or communicate with, or attempt to contact, approach or communicate with them, by any means either directly or indirectly.

"The Crown also seeks a SEXUAL HARM PREVENTION ORDER for a period of ten years. Other than the terms of the first part of the order, that is not opposed by you

"In other respects, the SOPO is not opposed by you and is granted in the terms sought.

"You will remain subject to the notification requirements applicable to sex offenders for an indefinite period, and your name will be added to the lists of persons deemed unsuitable to work with vulnerable groups."

23 June 2026