AUBREY CARTER FROM CALNE SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES INVOLVING TEENAGE GIRL AND CHILD IMAGES

In December 2014, Aubrey Carter, a 42-year-old man from Calne, was sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted of engaging in sexual activities with a 15-year-old girl who had run away from home. The case revealed disturbing details about Carter's predatory behavior, which included online grooming, physical meetings, and possession of indecent images of children.

Prosecutor Hannah Squire outlined to Swindon Crown Court that Carter had initially befriended the young girl over the internet when she was only 14 years old. As their online relationship developed, Carter took steps to meet her in person. He traveled to North London to pick her up and brought her back to his residence in Calne, where she performed a sexual act on him. Following this, he returned her to her hometown in London, and over the subsequent months, they met on several occasions. During their online exchanges, Carter expressed interest in meeting other underage girls, even suggesting he would like to have sex with them both.

In May 2013, the girl contacted Carter via Facebook, revealing she was sleeping rough in London and asking to stay with him. Carter responded by sending her a one-way train ticket to Chippenham, which she used to travel to his home. Authorities tracked her down to Carter’s residence, where she disclosed the abuse she had suffered. Despite her revelations, Carter falsely claimed he believed she was 16 years old. During the investigation, officers discovered that Carter had stored numerous indecent images of children as young as three on his phone, which he had acquired while attending a sex offenders’ course.

Initially, magistrates imposed a community order on Carter, forbidding him from contacting young girls and restricting his access to internet-enabled devices. However, in February of the following year, police found him in possession of a smartphone containing an additional 47 indecent images of children, along with chat logs with another underage girl. These messages, which began when she was 12 and continued until she was 14, included flirtatious exchanges and suggestions of meeting up. Carter also claimed to be paying her phone bill, further indicating his manipulative behavior.

Throughout the proceedings, Carter pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including three counts of sexual activity with a child, two breaches of a sexual offences prevention order, six counts of making indecent images of children, and one count of possessing such images. His defense argued that he was aware of the potential length of his imprisonment but emphasized that the court should only sentence him based on his actual actions, not potential future conduct.

Judge Peter Blair QC sentenced Carter to seven years in prison, with a requirement to serve at least two-thirds of the term before being eligible for parole. Additionally, Carter will face a three-year extension on his license upon release. He was also ordered to comply with a new sexual offences prevention order and to register as a sex offender for life, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the ongoing risk he poses to the community.