JONATHAN NEATE FROME AND MELKSHAM SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL

In August 2006, Jonathan Neate, a fairground worker with connections to both Frome and Melksham, was sentenced to six months in prison after admitting to engaging in a sexual act with a 13-year-old girl he met in Melksham. The court proceedings revealed that Neate, aged 24 at the time, would also be subject to a two-year period of supervised release following his incarceration, during which he would be required to participate in a sex offenders' rehabilitation program.

The sentencing took place at Swindon Crown Court, where Judge John McNaught emphasized the gravity of the offense. The prosecution, led by Robin Shellard, detailed that Neate was working at a funfair in Melksham in July 2004 when the incident occurred. According to Shellard, after the fair had concluded for the night, the young victim was invited back to Neate’s caravan, where alcohol was accessible. It was during this visit that the sexual misconduct took place. Notably, the girl did not report the incident until nearly a year later, raising concerns about the delay in disclosure.

Neate, who resides in Lower Innox, Frome, pleaded guilty to charges of sexual activity with a minor. Initially, he faced more serious allegations, but he changed his plea on the morning of his trial in June. His defense attorney, Sue Evans, argued that the sexual contact was consensual and that the girl had claimed to be 16 at the time, although it later emerged that she was actually 13. Evans also highlighted that Neate had no prior convictions for similar offenses and that he had maintained a clean record until his recent arrest for taking without consent in June.

Further background information revealed that Neate was placed into foster care at the age of seven, which resulted in him losing contact with his biological family. Despite his solitary upbringing, Evans described him as a resourceful and industrious individual who had consistently been employed. She noted that he had left his position at the funfair and was now working through an employment agency.

Judge McNaught addressed the court, stating, “This girl was 13 and you were in your early twenties, and the law is there to protect young girls against themselves. What you did was a serious matter, and I am quite sure it calls for a prison sentence.” The judge sentenced Neate to six months in prison, with an additional two-year extended license period. He was also prohibited from working with children and was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years, reflecting the serious nature of his misconduct and the need for ongoing monitoring and protection of minors.