LINCOLNSHIRE MAN JAILED FOR MULTIPLE SEX OFFENCES AGAINST TEENAGE GIRL
A man committed multiple sex offences against a teenage girl and is now behind bars.Tom Heckley committed the crimes in the Lincolnshire area back in 2021 when he was 20-years-old, but they only came to light in 2023 after a report was made to Lincolnshire Police.
Heckley, of Muirfield Way, appeared before Lincoln Crown Court today (Thursday, January 22), where he was convicted of 15 offences.
These included seven counts of sexual activity with a child involving penetration, one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child and one count of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.
The 25-year-old was also convicted of six counts of possessing indecent images of children.
The images and chat logs were found on his phone after it was seized and examined by police.
It included other teenage girls under 16 at the time.
Heckley was jailed for seven years and two months and been made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
He was also given a restraining order and has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
Speaking after sentencing, Detective Constable Kye Sykes, who led the investigation, said: “We’d like to pay tribute to the bravery of the victim in this case.
"Having the courage to report a traumatic event and placing her trust in us meant that we were able to identify other victims and safeguard them to the best of our ability.
“Despite the case being reported three years after it took place, we hope that this case reiterates that it is never too late to report if you are a survivor of sexual abuse.” Detective Sykes continued: "We will do everything we can to thoroughly investigate historic offences and hold offenders accountable for their actions.
“We’d also like to give thanks to the Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) Service at Spring Lodge for their support that they provide to survivors of sexual violence.” Anyone who has been the victim of rape or sexual assault should report it to Lincolnshire Police as soon as possible.
Alternatively, if someone feels not ready to speak to the police yet, they are advised to look at the support available for victims of rape and sexual assault on the Lincolnshire Police website to find out about other organisations which can offer help and support.
