MAN JAILED FOR 13 YEARS AFTER BEING CONVICTED OF A STRING OF CHILD SEX OFFENCES ACROSS THE NEW FOREST
A man has been sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison after being convicted of multiple serious child sex offences committed between January 2005 and June 2012.Steven Oxborrow, aged 33 and residing on Wilverley Road in Wootton, was found guilty at Southampton Crown Court on Tuesday, April 5, of five counts of sexual activity with a child under 13, three counts of sexual assault against a child under 13, two counts of producing indecent photographs of a child, one count of possessing indecent images, and one count of raping a child under 13.
The court was informed that Oxborrow, a local children’s martial arts instructor and entertainer, had sexually abused three children numerous times over a seven-year span in the areas of Wootton and New Milton.
The investigation was initiated after one victim, then 12 years old, came forward following a concerned parent discovering inappropriate messages exchanged between her and Oxborrow on a family computer.
Further inquiries revealed another victim who had been sexually abused.
Authorities also seized Oxborrow’s computer, where they found indecent images of children.
During an earlier court hearing, a third victim reported being sexually assaulted during martial arts classes.
Oxborrow was subsequently arrested and charged based on these allegations.
On May 26, Southampton Crown Court sentenced Oxborrow to 13 and a half years in prison, plus an additional year on licence.
He was also ordered to comply with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and to be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Victims were granted lifelong Restraining Orders to prevent contact with Oxborrow.
Detective Constable Donna Kay of Hampshire Constabulary’s Amberstone Unit praised the victims’ bravery, saying, “They showed remarkable maturity in coming forward and played a crucial role in achieving justice.
Oxborrow exploited their trust and positioned himself as a respected community figure, but his actions reveal a dangerous pattern of grooming and abuse.
We hope this sentencing offers the victims closure and reassurance that he cannot harm them again.”
