A North Yorkshire soldier whose child abuse was on a ‘prolific scale’ has been jailed for 24 years.
Austen Tobias Fleming, 28, admitted 83 cyber-enabled child sexual abuse and exploitation offences across the UK.
He was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today (Tuesday).
North Yorkshire Police’s online child abuse team arrested Fleming on 14 November 2022 at his base at Dishforth Airfield near Thirsk.
They were acting on intelligence that he had attempted to extort sexual imagery from a child.
The full charges
After reviewing the contents of digital devices seized from Fleming “it quickly became apparent to detectives that his offending was on a prolific scale, with victims the length and breadth of the country,” a police spokesperson said.
The youngest of Fleming’s many victims was aged just 10 and the oldest only 17.
Officers established that Fleming would set up multiple fake social media profiles, including female ones, and was grooming children to send indecent images and videos of themselves.
He would covertly record his interactions with them and use the footage to blackmail his victims into creating and sending further explicit material.
When the children refused, Fleming would threaten to share the images already sent with their loved ones.
He also sent small payments or vouchers to illicit more indecent material from the children.
Fleming was further arrested on suspicion of making indecent images of children and facilitating a child sex offence. He was interviewed and bailed while the investigation intensified to recover evidence and identify victims.
Badly traumatised
The investigation established that Fleming’s offending stemmed from December 2020 to January 2023, detailing his long-standing interest in child sexual abuse material.
The investigation established that Fleming’s offending stemmed from December 2020 to January 2023.
He answered ‘no comment’ to all the questions put to him during the police interview including those relating to the disturbing victims’ accounts of his offending.
One victim was so badly traumatised by the threats made by Fleming that he attempted to take his own life. Others were left crying and shaking with fear by what he had put them through.
They were from various parts of Scotland, Wales and England, including North Yorkshirem Kent, London, Surrey, Sussex, Lincolnshire, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Nottingham, Cheshire, Lancashire, West Yorkshire, Humberside and Durham.
As well as the 24-year custodial sentence, Fleming, of Stirling Road, Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire, also has to serve an extra three years on licence, been made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and placed on the Register of Sex Offender for the rest of his life.
The judge commended the North Yorkshire Police investigation team at the sentencing.
‘Significant danger’
Detective Constable Tom Sutcliffe, from North Yorkshire Police’s online child abuse team, who led the investigation, said: “This has been a large-scale investigation involving constabularies in Scotland, England and Wales.
“Their support has been crucial in obtaining accounts from the many victims of Fleming.
“It has also required collaborative safeguarding working involving social services across the UK to ensure the young people involved receive the support that they need.
“I have nothing but praise for the continued bravery of the victims.”
DC Sutcliffe added: “Fleming is clearly a depraved offender who poses a significant danger to young people especially.
“He now faces a long time in prison and will be robustly monitored by the authorities for the rest of his life.”
