Reading paedophile Dean Yates jailed for 20-years

Paedophile Sentenced to 20 Years in Jail for Blackmailing and Sexually Assaulting Teen Girls

Dean Yates, 34, of Oxford Road, Reading, was sentenced to 20 years in prison at Reading Crown Court on Monday, July 31. He was convicted on nine charges related to the sexual exploitation of two young girls.

The charges include making indecent photographs of a child, sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl, assault on a female, and causing a female to engage in sexual activity. The incidents occurred in 2019 when Yates was approximately 30 years old.

The court heard that Yates would hack into the social media accounts of young girls, obtaining their private photographs to blackmail them into sending more. He would often pretend to be younger than he was, using both his real name and aliases when communicating online.

In one instance, Yates hacked into a 15-year-old boy's account and pretended to be him to persuade a 13-year-old girl to send him private photographs. He then blackmailed the girl using the original photographs, forcing her to send more. The girl said she felt pressured to comply, fearing that Yates would share the pictures with her parents and friends.

The boy whose account was hacked was also arrested and interviewed by police. However, it was later discovered that his account had been compromised by Yates.

Another 15-year-old girl revealed that Yates had hacked her account and blackmailed her, forcing her to meet up with him and engage in sexual activity. He pretended that he was being blackmailed by the alias account he used, manipulating her into believing that he was a victim.

In a victim impact statement, the 15-year-old girl said she feels fear and distress when thinking about Yates and stated that she was too young to handle the situation at the time.

Judge Emma Nott sentenced Yates to a 20-year extended sentence, with a 15-year custodial sentence. He will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.