WINCANTON PAEDOPHILE PAUL PLATTEN SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES IN MULTIPLE CASES

In a series of disturbing criminal cases, Paul Platten, a 39-year-old resident of Wincanton, has been convicted and sentenced for a range of serious offenses involving child exploitation and abuse. The incidents span over a period of months and involve both online predatory behavior and the possession of illicit images of young girls.

In July 2017, Platten appeared before Taunton Crown Court to face charges related to the possession of a significant number of indecent images and videos depicting young girls being sexually abused. The court was informed that he had in his possession a total of 576 images and 15 videos, all showing girls aged between five and eight years old being subjected to rape and sexual abuse. These revelations came after Platten admitted to three counts of making indecent images of a child. His arrest and subsequent court appearance marked a grave escalation in his criminal activities.

Prior to this, in August 2016, Platten had already been sentenced to 12 months in prison after he engaged in a disturbing online sting operation. He had sent explicit messages and naked photographs of himself to individuals he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, but who were in fact vigilante investigators. The group, operating under the name 'The Hunted One,' had set up a fake social media profile of a young girl named Sarah Rose to lure him. When Platten arranged to meet the supposed minor in London, he was confronted by the vigilantes. The court heard that he had attempted to incite a child into sexual activity and had engaged in sexual communication with a minor. Judge James Patrick described his actions as extremely serious, warranting immediate custodial sentencing.

During the proceedings, it was noted that Platten had also admitted to attempting to groom a 13-year-old girl through online interactions. This was part of an investigation where vigilante groups created a fake profile and confronted him outside his home in Balsam Fields, Wincanton. The court was shown footage of the confrontation, which was recorded by the investigators. Over the course of three months, Platten had sent the girl naked photographs, explicit messages, and had expressed intentions to meet her. These offenses were committed between March and June of that year.

Judge David Evans, presiding over the July 2017 case, expressed frustration over the lack of cooperation from the Crown Prosecution Service, which he said had failed to provide necessary information for a more comprehensive sentencing. Despite this, Platten was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with two additional concurrent sentences of eight months each. Furthermore, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years and was placed under a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.

Throughout these proceedings, Platten’s actions have been characterized as deeply disturbing and indicative of a pattern of predatory behavior. His criminal record now includes multiple convictions related to child exploitation, and he faces significant restrictions and monitoring as a registered sex offender for the next decade. The community and authorities continue to emphasize the importance of vigilance and the ongoing efforts to combat online and offline child abuse, especially in small towns like Wincanton where such cases have shocked the local population.