Hythe: Man Sentenced to 10 Years For Offences Against Children

13 June 2014, 18:21

A man from Hythe has been imprisoned for 10 years for committing offences against children.

64 year-old Martin Locke, formerly of Tanners Hill in Hythe, was arrested on 17 October 2013. Locke had communicated with another computer user via email to arrange to view and take part in the sexual assault of two children aged 11 and 7 years old.

However, before the meeting could take place officers attended Locke's address with a search warrant, and he was arrested and later charged.
Locke pleaded guilty at court to arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and distributing indecent images of children.
Whilst on remand officers secured further evidence to charge Locke with additional offences.

Locke was found to have sexually assaulted two girls when they were aged 12 and 13 years old. Examination of items seized from Locke's address established that he had also distributed indecent images of children and that he had paid for the sexual services of a child by asking a girl to send him indecent images of herself in exchange for payment.

Locke was also charged with outraging public decency after officers found footage from where Locke had filmed up girls' skirts without them knowing.

On 13 June at Canterbury Crown Court, Locke was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with an extended licence period of four years, having pleaded guilty to all charges at an earlier hearing.

Detective Constable Matthew Avery from the child exploitation investigation team at Kent Police said: "Martin Locke was willing to not only sexually abuse children, but also offer money in exchange for the opportunity to do so. He also offered payment to children for indecent images of themselves, when they were too young to understand the gravity of his perverted requests. I'm pleased that we have been able to put a stop to his offending and to prevent anyone else becoming a victim of his crimes."