'Dangerous' teenager from Milton Keynes jailed after sexually assaulting seven year old girl

Kieron Peddle was only 16 years old when he approached a young girl on his bike while she was playing outside with her friends in Milton Keynes, Judge Francis Sheridan told the court.

After persuading the child to go for a bicycle ride with him, Peddle led her into a secluded spot before groping, kissing and sexually assaulting her, the court heard.

The judge said the girl's mother was visited by the child's friends, who knocked on her door and told her their friend was crying.

The incident happened on September 29 2017.

Judge Sheridan said the child later reluctantly confirmed the horrific story to her parents. Peddle was tracked down and eventually confessed to the allegations - admitting “it’s all true."

The court heard that in 2018 Peddle came to the attention of authorities once more when he befriended a girl over social media photo-sharing platform Snapchat. It later emerged the girl was only 14.

After initially befriending the schoolgirl through the Snapchat, Peddle became increasingly explicit, despite her attempts to brush him off and ignore his sexually charged comments. In one instance he told her: “In four years it would be legal for me to get with you”, the court heard.

She understood his remarks and but told him it would not be happening. However Peddle continued to manipulate her and make sexual statements, telling her: “I want to have sex with you... I want to have sex in the shower."

After a prolonged period of grooming and manipulation, Peddle - by now aged 18 years - persuaded her on September 10 last year to send sexually explicit images of herself via Snapchat, an experience which left her immediately feeling sick and guilty, the court heard.

Peddle screen-shotted, saved and shared the images among friends and never spoke to the girl again, despite his promises to the contrary.

A pre-sentence report presented at Aylesbury Crown Court described Peddle as “dangerous”, a description Judge Sheridan was in staunch agreement with. It noted he was ”unremorseful for his actions” and offences committed in the Milton Keynes area.

Peddle's defence barrister Neil Jarvis cited the defendant’s age, immaturity and early guilty pleas in previous hearings.

The 18-year-old appeared before Judge Sheridan charged with breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order from the incident with the seven-year-old girl and causing or inciting a female child under 16 years to engage in sexual activity.

He was sentenced to seven years imprisonment with a five year extension on licence.

Peddle, appearing via a prison video link and dressed in a green hooded jumper with swept dark hair, was silent as he was also handed a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Sentencing Peddle, of no fixed abode, Judge Sheridan said: “The pre-sentence review makes it very, very clear that you ought to be treated as dangerous.

“Your violations are indicative of risk-taking behaviour. You represent a high risk to underage girls at this juncture.

“The previous Order imposed by the court has not worked to date and, as a result, I find there is a significant risk to the public of your causing serious harm.”