A Calne man has been sentenced to 19 months in prison after admitting sexual communication with a child and intimidation.
Jason Payne, 37, appeared at Swindon Crown Court today, 3rd September, for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to the two offences.
The sexual communication offence relates to messages sent to a child, while the intimidation offence followed the reporting of the matter.
Payne was sentenced to 19 months in prison.
He must also register with the police under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for 10 years and was ordered to pay a £187 surcharge.
A restraining order was also made and will remain in place until 3rd September 2033.
Under the order, Payne is prohibited from having any contact by any means whatsoever with the two people protected by the order. He is also prohibited from attending their address in Calne.
The court also heard victim impact statements during today's sentencing hearing, with the victim describing the sense of loss and confusion she has experienced since discovering that the person she trusted was not who she believed him to be.
“I miss the person I thought Jay was, I miss the happiness I believed in.”
She described feeling as though she was grieving for someone who was still there, and said she now questioned memories that she had previously looked back on with happiness.
The experience had also affected her confidence and school life, as she worried about people talking about her or judging her.
“I have also struggled personally, and at times I feel like I have had to grow up too quickly.”
She described missing the time when life felt normal and when she did not have to question her memories or carry what she described as a constant weight.
“I am only 15, and I never expected to feel grief like this.”
She said she did not know how long it would take to feel like herself again, but hoped that one day she would.
Despite everything that had happened, she still hoped Payne would get the help and support he needed, while also believing he must be held responsible for his actions.
The victim's mother also provided a statement, describing the impact on the family and the loss of trust following what had happened.
“The betrayal, the heartbreak, and the loss of trust are things that I don’t believe I will ever truly get over.”
She described the financial and personal impact of the situation and said she had only recently returned to work while trying to rebuild her life.
The family had also experienced a greater sense of safety and stability since Payne had been in prison.
“For the first time in a long time, there has been a sense of safety and stability in our home.”
She said this had given the family the opportunity to begin rebuilding their lives, although healing would take time.
The mother described the love and trust she had placed in Payne as genuine, saying she had trusted him completely until she was given a reason not to.
Despite everything that had happened, she also hoped Payne would get the help he needed and eventually become a better person.
At an earlier hearing, police said Payne had sent sexually explicit messages to the child via Snapchat and attempted to persuade her to send intimate photographs.
Police also said that, after the matter was reported, Payne repeatedly breached bail conditions by contacting the victim and her family.
Payne has now been sentenced to 19 months in prison and will be subject to the 10-year registration requirement under the Sexual Offences Act.
The restraining order will remain in place until 3rd September 2033.
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