LEE WIGMORE FROM SAWTRY JAILED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE

In March 2016, a former firefighter from Cambridgeshire was sentenced to a 20-month prison term after being convicted of engaging in sexual activities with a teenage girl. Lee Wigmore, aged 26 and residing on Hunters Way in Sawtry, pleaded guilty at Huntingdon Crown Court to four separate charges related to his inappropriate conduct with the underage girl, who was only 15 years old at the time of the incidents.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Wigmore and the girl had initially connected through Facebook, where they began exchanging messages. Their online communication eventually led to face-to-face meetings. The first encounter took place on June 10, in Sawtry village, where the pair spent several hours together. According to the prosecution, their interaction during this initial meeting involved limited sexual activity, but it marked the beginning of a series of increasingly intimate encounters.

The following day, June 11, Wigmore picked up the girl and took her to a lay-by in Alconbury. There, the two engaged in sexual acts with each other, each performing a sexual act on the other. The court heard that after this meeting, the pair continued to communicate via messages, planning to meet again at Wigmore’s residence on June 21. On that evening, they engaged in sexual intercourse, and they repeated this act the following day.

Throughout their exchanges, the messages between Wigmore and the girl were described as “explicit,” yet it was clear that both parties were discussing a future together. The relationship only came to light when the girl confided in a relative, revealing that she had been involved with a man ten years her senior. This disclosure prompted police to investigate, leading to Wigmore’s arrest on June 25.

During police interviews, Wigmore denied knowing the girl’s true age, claiming he believed she was 16, and later stated he thought she was 17 or 18. However, the prosecution presented evidence indicating that Wigmore was aware of her age of 15 early in their interactions, and certainly before they met in person. Caroline Allison, the prosecutor, emphasized that Wigmore was aware of the girl’s age during their initial discussions and before their physical meetings.

Judge Jonathan Cooper sentenced Wigmore to a concurrent term of 20 months for the four sexual offences. The judge acknowledged that Wigmore had taken responsibility for his actions but criticized his failure to fully recognize the harm caused to his victim. The court also ordered Wigmore to participate in a sexual harm prevention program and prohibited him from working with or being in the company of anyone under 18 without approved supervision for the next ten years. Additionally, Wigmore was barred from contacting the girl or her family.

It was confirmed by a spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue that Wigmore was a former on-call firefighter with the service, though he is no longer employed there. The case highlights the serious legal consequences of engaging in sexual activities with minors, especially when facilitated through online communication and in-person meetings in local areas such as Sawtry and Alconbury.