CALLUM DOWER FROM YEOVIL SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN WINCHESTER AND TAUNTON

In September 2018, a disturbing case involving Callum Dower, a 26-year-old man from Wincanton in Somerset, who later was associated with Yeovil, came to light as he was sentenced for a series of serious sexual offences involving minors across multiple counties. Dower, who had previously been banned from using the internet to contact children in 2013, continued to exploit vulnerable young people despite these restrictions.

His criminal activities spanned several years, during which he created a complex web of deception to conceal his true identity online. After a thorough police investigation, authorities uncovered his pattern of predatory behavior, which involved targeting minors in Wiltshire, Avon, and Somerset. Dower admitted to committing 18 separate offences involving seven victims aged between 13 and 17 at the time of the incidents.

He was detained at HM Prison Winchester prior to his sentencing, which took place at Winchester Crown Court on Wednesday, September 26. The court heard that Dower had been subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) since July 2013, issued by Taunton Crown Court. This order explicitly prohibited him from accessing the internet to contact children, engaging in unsupervised contact with minors, and other related restrictions aimed at preventing further harm.

Between December 2016 and September 2017, Dower used a female alias to contact boys under the age of 16 via social media platforms. He encouraged these young boys to send explicit images of themselves and even offered to meet them in person, often promising gifts to lure them. His manipulative tactics extended to posing as a girl to continue his grooming activities when his initial approaches were rejected.

His actions led to multiple breaches of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order, with 15 counts related to these violations, along with three counts of inciting a child into sexual activity. The court found that Dower had deliberately flouted the restrictions placed upon him, demonstrating a pattern of predatory behavior that was both calculated and manipulative.

Earlier in his criminal career, Dower, then aged 19, had used Facebook to groom young boys, some as young as 14. He would encourage them to send nude images and, when rejected, would impersonate girls such as ‘Georgina’, ‘Georgia’, ‘Georgie’, and ‘Jade’ to continue his attempts at obtaining explicit material. His misconduct culminated in molesting one boy in a supermarket toilet and another in his car after allowing the minor to drive it in a car park.

Judge Graham Hume Jones sentenced Dower to a three-year community order for child sex and pornography offences. The judge acknowledged the manipulative nature of Dower’s conduct but also considered the defense’s argument that banning him from social networking sites entirely would be excessively harsh, given the importance of social interaction for young people.

Despite the court’s decision, Facebook confirmed that Dower’s profile had been removed, citing their policy that convicted sex offenders are prohibited from using the platform. The judge also ordered Dower to sign the sex offenders’ register for five years, impose a 12-hour overnight curfew for three months, and require him to wear an electronic tag. Additionally, Dower was banned from working with children.

Judge Jones emphasized the severity of Dower’s manipulative tactics, describing his actions as a form of sexual bullying that involved extensive planning and deception. He warned that continued offending could lead to more severe consequences, including imprisonment, and remarked that Dower’s behavior had placed him at significant risk of future legal trouble. The case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by authorities in combating online grooming and protecting vulnerable minors from predatory individuals like Callum Dower.