'Children have to be protected from you': Shropshire child sex abuser jailed for 33 years

Serving prisoner Peter Andrew Milner, 51, was sentenced after previously pleading guilty to a total of seven counts relating to sexual activity with a child and rape of a child between 2007 and 2014, as well as making indecent photographs of a child in 2017.

Prosecuting barrister Mr Ben Lawrence said matters only came to light after the martial arts coach, who was living in Shropshire at the time, was jailed 14 months ago for abusing a different girl.

After reading press reports, the second victim, now an adult, contacted West Mercia Police.

Sentencing Milner, Judge Paul Thomas QC told him young children had to be “protected” from him.

“I believe that you represent a serious risk of harm to children of that age well beyond your release date," said the judge.

"I do not believe that a life sentence is merited, but an extended concurrent term is."

In her victim impact statement read aloud by Mr Lawrence, the victim said she now distrusted men as a result of what happened to her and suffered from anxiety.

"It’s hard to find the words to explain how Peter has ruined my early life and teen years. I trusted him,” she stated.

Devices

Judge Thomas told the hearing at Swansea Crown Court that due to Milner’s previous indeterminate sentence of 20 years it would be inappropriate to set a consecutive term and he would sentence him based on the totality of his offending behaviour.

Milner was sentenced to a total of 33 years extended. He must serve two-thirds before being considered for release by the Parole Board. He will be subject to sexual harm prevention and restraining orders indefinitely.

The judge also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of seized electronic devices. Hundreds of images some in category A, the most serious, were discovered by investigating officers.

Further offences were allowed to lie on file.

Mitigating barrister Mr Graham Blower said Milner, formerly of Church Close, Shawbury, had since revealed “he himself was a victim of abuse” and was genuinely remorseful.

The Jiu Jitsu coach worked in Shrewsbury for five years up to 2019 when he was jailed for 18 years at Swansea for child sex offences committed between 1995 and 2005. He was found guilty of sexually abusing two girls in the Swansea area before he moved to Shropshire.