Man jailed for child sex offences

A Dorset man has been jailed after admitting a series of sexual offences involving children.

Adam Matthew Weeks, of Christchurch, pictured, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday, February 17, to be sentenced after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to two charges of sexual assault of a child under 13, four offences of taking indecent images of a child, six charges of making indecent photographs of a child and two counts of causing of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The 25-year-old was sentenced to eight years in prison and will also serve an extended licence period of a further four years.

Weeks had previously been sentenced at Manchester Crown Court in May 2022 for indecent image offences and was given a 16-month jail term, suspended for two years. He was also made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

On Tuesday, July 26, he attended an appointment with his probation officer and offender manager in Bournemouth and handed his phone over for examination, which was part of the requirement of his SHPO, the court heard.

On his phone, they found a significant number of indecent images of young children as well as photographs and videos of the defendant sexually

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The authorities in America were notified and Weeks was subsequently charged with offences relating to both child victims.

After the hearing Detective Constable Steve Cartwright, of Dorset Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team, said: “Adam Weeks was a convicted sex offender who continued to subject young children to despicable sexual abuse for his own gratification.

“Through our investigation we were able to expose his offending and ensure he was held to account for his actions.

“Offending of this nature often has a devastating and lifelong impact on the child victims involved and we remain committed to identifying those involved in these horrific crimes and bringing them before the courts.”