Man sentenced to more than five years in prison for child sex offences

A man has been sentenced to five years and four months in prison for a number of sexual offences involving children.

Michael Sweeney, 51, of Stowmarket Road, Great Blakenham, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday 2 May after previously pleading guilty to sexual assault of a child aged under 13, taking indecent images of a child and three counts of making indecent photographs of children.

As well as the custodial sentence, Sweeney will serve an additional four years on licence, be on the sex offenders’ register for life and be subject to a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The court heard that Sweeney had no empathy for the children in the pictures and that he posed a high risk of sexual offending against children in the future.

PC Nicola Flack said: “Tackling the online viewing and distributing of indecent images is a priority for police across the country and I hope this shows there are consequences for those who view such images.

“Many people think that viewing indecent images online is a victimless crime, but behind every image is a real child who has been or is being abused.

“Our online child protection team will relentlessly pursue those offenders to bring them to justice and will continue to work to safeguard children.”

If you have been a victim of sexual abuse or sexual violence, please report it to police via the online reporting tool at: https://www.suffolk.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/

Further information, support and advice:

The Ferns – Suffolk Sexual Assault Referral Centre – https://www.theferns-suffolk.org.uk

Survivors in Transition - Specialist support in Suffolk for female and male survivors of childhood sexual abuse, violence and exploitation - www.survivorsintransition.co.uk

Suffolk Rape Crisis - Support service open to females aged 14 or above who needs support following a rape or sexual assault – www.suffolkrapecrisis.org.uk

Brave Futures - https://bravefutures.org - a therapeutic service for children and young people up to 21 years who have reported being sexually abused and to offer support for their families.

Stop it now - The Stop it Now confidential freephone Helpline is available to anyone who has been arrested, cautioned or convicted for accessing indecent images of children online, their partners, relatives and friends. Users of the hotline can discuss any immediate issues with trained operators who can offer confidential and impartial advice. The operators will help explore options, including managing future behaviour. 0808 1000 900 or [email protected]. www.stopitnow.org.uk