ANTHONY OAKLEY FROM WESTON-SUPER-MARE JAILED FOR SEXUAL ABUSE AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

In a case that has shocked the community of Weston-super-Mare, Anthony Oakley, a 33-year-old scout leader, was sentenced to four years in prison for serious sexual offenses involving a 12-year-old boy and for possessing a large collection of indecent images of children.

The incident took place in March 2005, when Oakley, who resided on Wren Close in Mead Vale, was found to have indecently assaulted the young boy, whom he had befriended through his role as a leader of the 1st Banwell Scout group. The court heard that Oakley had gained the trust of the boy’s family, which he exploited by inviting the child to stay overnight at his home.

During this visit, Oakley committed sexual acts against the boy and took naked photographs of him. Disturbingly, he also threatened to take his own life if the boy disclosed what had happened, an act that added to the gravity of his misconduct. Prosecutor Christopher Quinlan emphasized that Oakley had manipulated the family’s trust and taken advantage of the boy’s vulnerability.

The court was informed that the boy eventually confided in his family, prompting his mother to report the incident to the police in March of the previous year. Following Oakley’s arrest, law enforcement officers conducted a search of his residence, uncovering a total of 239 indecent images stored on his computer’s hard drive.

While the majority of these images were classified as being at the lower end of the indecency scale, three photographs were rated at level four, indicating a higher degree of severity. The images included photographs of the boy in the nude, which further compounded the seriousness of the case.

Judge Michael Roach, presiding over the case at Bristol Crown Court, sentenced Oakley to four years in prison. He also issued a warning that if Oakley were to re-offend within two years of his release, he would be liable to return to jail. Additionally, Oakley was ordered to register as a sex offender, and he was disqualified from having unsupervised access to children under 16. He was also prohibited from working with children, visiting areas frequented by children, or giving presents to minors. Furthermore, he was banned from accessing the internet to prevent further offenses.

Judge Roach described the offenses as “deplorable,” underscoring the severity of Oakley’s actions and the impact on the victim and the community of Weston-super-Mare.