A student from the university in Cherry Willingham, Lincolnshire, has been handed a 14-year prison sentence for admitting to a series of eight sexual offences against a minor, five of which were rape charges. 22-year-old David Thorne, who was pursuing a course in policing, had travelled to Grantham to meet the child, who is below the age of 13. The offences were carried out over a span of three days in December 2023. Although Thorne insisted that the girl had informed him she was 17 years old, his argument was rejected by Lincoln Crown Court after a Newton Hearing. It was revealed in court that Thorne, an Army cadet leader, had donned his uniform during one of the visits. The judge, Simon Hirst, wholly accepted the minor’s testimony, and stated that he had ‘no hesitation’ in doing so. As part of the sentence, Thorne received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order to avoid future contact with the victim. Moreover, upon his release, Thorne will face an additional 12 months of supervision on licence.
This article is based on the original report by www.bbc.com as reinterpreted by The Lincoln Post.
