A paedophile from Devon has been jailed after pleading guilty to 17 charges including raping and taking indecent photos of a primary school aged girl.

Edward Howard, 34, of Warren Road, Torquay, appeared at Exeter Crown Court for sentence on Thursday 22 October, after pleading guilty at a hearing on Thursday 20 August.

Of the 17 charges, four were against the same victim – rape of a girl under 13, two counts of attempted assault by penetration of girl under 13, making an indecent photograph of a child.

He also pleaded guilty to:

Two counts of making an indecent photograph of a child – Category A

Two counts of making an indecent photograph of a child – Category B

Two counts of making an indecent photograph of a child – Category C

Three counts of distributing an indecent image of a child, one for Category A, one for Category B and one for Category C.

Possession of extreme pornography.

Three counts of sexual communication with a child.

Howard was first arrested in December 2025 when information was received that he had uploaded indecent images of children to the internet.

Further examination of his mobile phone revealed a large quantity of indecent images of children of each category.

Evidence was located on the device of sexual communications with three children.

It also contained images that he had taken himself of one victim.

The victim later disclosed that he had sexually assaulted her on more than one occasion.

He was sentenced to 18 years in prison plus a further six years on extended licence