Former Dinner Lady Jailed After Original Sentence Overturned

Terri Spragg, 35, of Bettesworth Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight, has been jailed for three years after her original sentence for sexual activity with a child was overturned by the Court of Appeal.

Spragg was found guilty of seven counts of sexual activity with a child under 16 in December 2023 and initially received a 15-month sentence, suspended for two years. However, the Court of Appeal deemed this sentence "unduly lenient" and referred the case back for a new sentence.

The Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, stated that Spragg engaged in a series of sexual activities with the victim, who was 14 years old, between 12 August and 1 November 2014.

Spragg was caught after the victim's sister discovered messages on his phone that revealed the nature of their relationship.

Following the sentencing, the Solicitor General said: "Gaining a child's trust and abusing it in this way is unacceptable. The original sentence failed to take proper account of the seriousness of the offence and the impact it has had on the victim and his family. I hope the court's decision to impose an immediate prison sentence sends a clear message to society that such offences will not be tolerated."