Telford child sex abuser's appeal bid is turned down

Simon David Perry, 31, met the first girl in an internet chatroom in late 2006 and arranged meetings at a youth club and at school gates.

Perry, of Church Street, Oakengates, then sexually assaulted the youngster during one of their meetings.

Despite convictions for sexual activity with a child and grooming, he was given only community and sexual offences prevention orders, the Court of Appeal heard yesterday.

But within a few years, Perry was offending again, molesting another 13-year-old girl whom he had befriended in 2010.

He was finally jailed in July after earlier pleading guilty to sexual activity with a child at Shrewsbury Crown Court.

Due to the previous offences, he was considered a "dangerous" offender and given an "extended" sentence of six years.

Yesterday, after an appeal by his lawyers, three top judges in London said the crown court judge had been right to assess Perry as a danger and to give him the extended term.

They upheld his two-and-a-half year jail term, with another three-and-a-half subject to extended licence conditions on release.

Perry's barrister, Paul Smith, had argued that there was not enough evidence to say he posed a "significant" risk of "serious" harm.

Although it was accepted he was a risk to children, there wasn't sufficient evidence of the level of harm he might cause.

"It cannot be disputed that the victim suffered harm and distress, but in my submission, without wishing to diminish the impact on her, that is not enough harm to reach the level of serious psychological harm," Mr Smith said.

Giving judgment, Mr Justice Stewart, who heard the appeal with Lord Justice Bean and Judge Peter Collier QC, pointed to a statement made by Perry's later victim.

In it, she said that, even three years after she was abused, she could not bear to be alone in a room with a man she did not know well. She did not often leave her home, particularly if her friends were going to be meeting older men, she said.

The appeal judge continued: "The judge specifically took into account the victim personal statement of the child in the present case, as well as the factors of the earlier case.

"Within a period of three years, Perry had committed a sexual offence on a 13-year-old girl while subject to a sexual offences prevention order. On the facts of this case, the judge, taking into account all the information, properly came to the conclusion that there is a significant risk to young girls of serious harm."