ANTHONY DUNN FROM FARINGDON SENTENCED AND GIVEN ADDITIONAL UNPAID WORK TIME IN OXFORD

In September 2020, a child sex offender was granted extra time to complete his unpaid work after initially avoiding jail for serious offences involving a minor.

Anthony Dunn, 28, of Robins Court, Faringdon, had previously been sentenced last year after being found guilty of grooming his young victim—who cannot be identified for legal reasons—and taking over a thousand indecent photographs of her. The court was also told that he possessed a total of 1,662 indecent images of her, along with messages on his phone discussing sexual activities, and that he engaged in sexual contact, giving her a 'love bite.'

Dunn pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images of a child, one count of sexual activity with a child, and another of sexual communication with a child. During the hearing at Oxford Crown Court in March last year, Judge Zoe Smith sentenced him to a 12-month suspended jail term, suspended for 24 months, along with a community order for the same period. The court’s order included 25 days of rehabilitation activities, participation in a sex offender educational course, and 150 hours of unpaid work.

At a recent hearing at the same court, it was revealed that Dunn had completed fewer than 100 hours of his unpaid work so far, and the court acknowledged that the Covid-19 pandemic and related lockdowns had impacted the ability to carry out unpaid work since March. Presiding Judge Ian Pringle QC agreed to grant Dunn additional time to fulfill the remaining hours. He now has until March 4 next year to complete approximately 57 hours left from his court-ordered requirements.

This case follows a previous incident reported in March 2019, where Dunn, then 27, was also convicted of having an unhealthy obsession with a child, leading to the taking of more than 1,000 naked pictures of her. He had groomed his victim after separating from his wife, engaging in a sexual relationship with her. Prosecutors highlighted that the victim was vulnerable and young during 2017, with evidence including a love bite, electronic devices seized from Dunn’s home, and analysis revealing indecent images, some depicting the child naked and a video of her kissing Dunn. Google searches with terms like 'man groping school girl' were also uncovered.

The court noted that Dunn should have clearly understood that his victim was underage and vulnerable, indicating grooming behavior. His defense lawyer, Adrian Amer, expressed that Dunn was remorseful, stating, “The defendant regrets very much giving the complainant a love bite and mercifully the activity didn’t go any further. In relation to the photographs, while they are bad enough, they are not the worst the courts have seen in this regard. The defendant acknowledges his behaviour was inappropriate and he expresses regret for his actions.” The court also heard that Dunn, who is believed to have low intelligence and possible undiagnosed learning difficulties, had since reconciled with his wife, with whom he plans to continue his relationship.

Judge Zoe Smith sentenced him to a 12-month suspended jail term, suspended for 24 months, along with a 24-month community order that includes 25 days of rehabilitation, participation in a sex offender educational course, and 150 hours of unpaid work.