A “PREDATORY paedophile” who repeatedly had sex with a 14-year-old girl has been classified as dangerous and jailed for eight years.

Paul-John Saunders targeted two teenagers and was described by a judge in Oxford Crown Court as having shown no remorse.

The 22-year-old, of Horspath Road, Oxford, was found guilty after a trial of two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl between July 29 and December 20 last year.

He was also convicted of causing or inciting a second girl, who was 14 at the time, to engage in child pornography between January and December last year.

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Yesterday Judge Peter Ross branded him “dangerous” and handed him an extended jail sentence because of his complete refusal to engage with the probation service. He will serve a minimum of two thirds of his eight-year sentence, then spend a further four on licence in the community.

Judge Ross said the sexual abuse of Saunders’ first victim lasted months and was recorded in “voice notes” he left on her mobile phone.

During his trial, Saunders claimed these messages had been left by someone else, but yesterday Judge Ross told him they were “clearly your voice”.

The judge said after “exploiting” one girl, Saunders was trying to do the same to a second victim, but only got as far as getting her to send him naked pictures of herself.

He told him: “You treated these girls as nothing more than sexual objects. I’m not going to repeat the word you used to describe both of them in your discussions with probation, because I don’t want them to read what you think about them.

“It is clear that you used photographs that you had obtained from [your first victim] as a means of exerting control over her.

“She was 14, she was a child – I use that word deliberately – and she is entitled to the protection of the law. She was also extremely vulnerable.

“The phrase ‘predatory paedophile’ has appeared very frequently in recent months in the media, but I have no hesitation in using it about you.

“You targeted vulnerable girls, have certainly sexually exploited one, and started to sexually exploit a second.”

Barrister Jennifer Edwards, defending, said her client maintained he was innocent. She said: “Paul-John Saunders is a man of significant immaturity, and the comments he made to probation demonstrate that.

“But he should at least be given the chance to demonstrate that he can overcome his issues and stop being a threat to anybody.

Saunders pleaded guilty during his trial to possessing indecent images of the girls. He will be on the sex offenders’ register for life.

 

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