A 60-year-old man, Anthony Dugard from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, has been sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of nine child sexual abuse offences.

Dugard was arrested on July 4, 2024, in Swindon where he traveled intending to meet who he believed to be a child for the purpose of abuse. He was apprehended by officers from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) as part of a proactive police operation led by their Online Investigations Team.

Initially, Dugard pleaded guilty to four child sex offences and was remanded in custody. Upon examination of his mobile phone, officers uncovered evidence of further offences committed against a real 15-year-old child. The victim provided testimony that Dugard had coerced and exploited her over several months.

Dugard subsequently pleaded guilty to five additional child sexual abuse offenses. During sentencing at Swindon Crown Court on November 22, 2024, Judge JN Townsend commended the victim for her courage in assisting the criminal justice process.

In addition to his prison sentence, Dugard will remain on the Sex Offenders' Register for life and be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 15 years.