April 2022

Exeter man and building site worker jailed for sexually abusing nine-year-old girl

A building site worker has been jailed for grooming and sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl.

Adrian Browers, 49, was branded a high-risk paedophile when he appeared at court.

The frightened child told her parents what had happened and police investigated. But the case was dropped and no further action taken against Browers until he let slip what he had done to a probation officer.

The case was reopened and Browers convicted after admitting four sexual offences against the child.

The defendant, who was living in Taunton at the time but later moved to Exeter, has been jailed for four years and nine months by a judge at Taunton Crown Court.

He poses a high risk to children and a further two years was added as part of an extended sentence.

Prosecutor Mr Ian Fenny said the offences happened back in 2017. Browers hugged and touched the girl sexually and also incited her to engage in sexual behaviour. The abuse happened on at least three occasions, the court heard.

Mr Fenny said there was obvious planning and evidence of grooming the child. He was arrested in 2018 but not prosecuted.

In August 2020 Browers was found with images of child abuse on his computer and given a community order. Searches made by Browers on his device showed he had a clear sexual interest in young girls.

As part of the court order he was assigned a probation officer and police offender manager to keep tabs on his behaviour. During the course of a meeting with them he admitted sexual contact with a child and the case reopened. When the case came to court he made a failed attempt to exclude his confession from evidence.

Judge James Townsend said delays in the case were the fault of the defendant for not owning up to what he had done at an earlier stage.

“This was an appalling series of attacks on a vulnerable nine-year-old girl,” said the judge. “You abused her on a number of occasions and it must have taken courage for her to disclose what happened to her.

“The effect of the attacks have been very substantial. It has been made all the worse because the case has dragged on for a long time. One can only hope she can move on and recover.”

“You plainly demonstrate a sexual interest in young girls and you are prepared to act upon those urges. You plainly represent a risk to young girls. You represent a continuing risk and a determinant sentence would not address that adequately because of the unpredictable nature of that risk.”

Browers, of Heavitree Road, Exeter, must serve at least two thirds of his four years and nine month term in prison before he is considered for release. He must serve the remainder of his extended sentence on licence.

The defendant was told to sign the sex offender register and made subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.