MARTIN LEWIS EXMOUTH AND PAIGNTON SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED FOR FLASHING AND CHILD ABUSE IMAGES

In a series of disturbing incidents spanning several years, Martin Lewis, a known sex offender from Paignton, has been convicted and sentenced for multiple serious offences involving public indecency and possession of child abuse images. His criminal activities have repeatedly targeted locations such as Exmouth and Exeter, raising significant concerns about public safety and the effectiveness of previous interventions.

In July 2018, Lewis was sentenced to three years in prison at Exeter Crown Court after a shocking incident in Exeter. A university student, walking home from her lectures, encountered Lewis, who was parked in his grey Mazda. As she passed by, Lewis displayed her a naked picture of himself and then invited her into his vehicle. The student, distressed and alarmed by his behaviour, quickly walked away and used her mobile phone to take a photograph of his car and license plate before calling the police. Law enforcement officers traced Lewis through his vehicle registration, leading to his arrest.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Lewis, aged 48 and residing on Hookhills Road in Paignton, had a long history of sexual offences. His criminal record includes convictions for sexual assault, downloading indecent images of children, and exposure. Notably, he was already under investigation for breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) by posting naked images of himself on Twitter. Evidence showed that even while participating in a sex offenders’ treatment programme, Lewis continued to access and view child abuse material on the internet.

Prosecutor Mr. Paul Grumbar detailed that in September 2017, police officers from the public protection unit discovered that Lewis had posted nearly 300 images of child abuse across three phones, two of which had not been previously reported to authorities. Among these images, 26 were classified as the most severe, depicting serious abuse by adults, while 50 showed less severe acts, and 211 images depicted child nudity. The download dates indicated that Lewis had been actively acquiring these images throughout his participation in the sex offenders’ treatment program.

Lewis’s latest offence occurred on April 14 of the same year, while he was still under investigation and police were analyzing his phones. During this incident, Lewis printed out an A3-sized photograph of himself, naked and aroused, which he then showed to a female student passing his parked car in Exeter. The student, distressed by his behaviour, described him as asking her if she wanted to get in his vehicle. She managed to take a picture of his car with her phone before he drove past and shouted at her to delete the image. She promptly contacted the police, who identified Lewis as the suspect.

Lewis’s criminal history is extensive, with 26 convictions including two previous offences of downloading child abuse images and two of exposure. His most recent prior incident involved exposing himself to two girls on Exmouth seafront in 2014. This pattern of offending demonstrates a persistent and troubling disregard for the law and public decency.

In a separate case from April 2015, Lewis was caught with images of child abuse on his phone after being stopped by police. The phone contained 32 images, including one depicting serious abuse and eight involving children in sexual acts. At that time, Lewis was already subject to a SOPO due to his 25 prior convictions. He was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for two years, after admitting to possessing indecent images of children. The judge emphasized the entrenched nature of Lewis’s sexual interests and warned that if he reoffended, he could face lengthy prison sentences.

Further back in September 2014, Lewis was involved in an incident at Exmouth beach where he claimed he had removed his trousers because he spilled Coca Cola on them. Police found him nearby, still in a semi-naked state, and he was also found to have violated his SOPO by posting obscene images on social media under the pseudonym 'Devonguy.' Despite the restrictions, Lewis had created accounts on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook, which he used to continue his inappropriate behaviour. His actions prompted further legal proceedings, with the case being adjourned to allow the prosecution to present additional evidence.

Judge Erik Salomonsen, presiding over the latest case, expressed grave concern over Lewis’s repeated offences and high risk of reoffending. He ordered that Lewis’s SOPO and registration as a sex offender be made lifelong measures. The judge warned Lewis that if he committed further offences upon release, he would face immediate re-imprisonment, emphasizing the seriousness of his criminal conduct and the potential for escalation.