Taunton Man Jailed for Child Sex Offences

18 January 2019, 17:23 | Updated: 18 January 2019, 17:25

A man from Taunton has been jailed for nine years after being convicted of multiple child sex offences.

Austin Stuart-Taylor, 21, supplied his victims with drugs before sexually exploiting them in Minehead, Taunton and Wellington.

He abused four girls aged between 13 and 17 over a period of two years.

In addition to the jail sentence, he was also given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, a 10-year restraining order against all the victims and he'll be on the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely.

During the trial, the jury was told neighbours would see girls go to the property dressed in school uniform. Once there, he would provide them with drugs, including cannabis, ketamine and MDMA.

The jury were told sexual images and moving video footage of children as young as three-years-old were found on Stuart-Taylor’s computer.

He also repeatedly asked his victims to take indecent pictures of themselves and send them to him.

Investigating Officer Detective Sergeant Phillip Clarke said: “Austin Stuart-Taylor is a manipulative individual who plied young girls with drugs in order to gain influence over them and abuse them.

“It’s clear he has a disturbing interest in young girls from the images found on his electronic devices.

“His actions were deliberate and calculated and there is absolutely no doubt he knew how old his victims were when he engaged in sexual activity with them.

“Together with Barnardos Against Sexual Exploitation (BASE), support has been provided to all the girls through what has been a lengthy criminal justice process and I hope now Stuart-Taylor has been handed a substantial prison term they can move on with their lives.”