Ex-soldier jailed for 83 child sex abuse crimes

Austen Fleming was jailed for 24 years after admitting 83 offences against children

A former soldier stationed in North Yorkshire has been jailed for 24 years after admitting more than 80 sexual abuse charges against children as young as 10.

Austen Tobias Fleming, 28, of Kilsyth in North Lanarkshire, was based at Dishforth Airfield near Thirsk in November 2022 when he was arrested.

He was jailed at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to 83 child sex offences, including inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and extorting sexual imagery from children.

Det Con Tom Sutcliffe, who led the investigation into Fleming's offending, said he was "clearly a depraved offender" who had posed a "significant danger to young people".

North Yorkshire Police said Fleming had a "long-standing interest in child sexual abuse material", with his offending taking place over a three-year period, from December 2020 to January 2023.

Fleming was arrested following a search of his accommodation by officers acting on intelligence that he had attempted to extort sexual imagery from a child.

Police said a number of digital devices were removed from his quarters, the contents of which suggested his offending was on "a prolific scale, with victims the length and breadth of the country".

A force spokesperson said Fleming had set up multiple fake social media profiles, including female ones, and had groomed children to send indecent images and videos of themselves which he then threatened to share.

He also covertly record his interactions with the children to use as leverage to extort further explicit material from his victims.

'Large-scale investigation'

Fleming was re-arrested in December 2024 for multiple offences, including blackmail, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, causing the exploitation of a child, and distributing indecent images of children.

A police spokesperson said: "One victim was so badly traumatised by the threats made by Fleming that he attempted to take his own life.

"The youngest of Fleming's many victims was aged just 10 and the oldest only 17."

Speaking after sentencing, Det Con Sutcliffe praised Fleming's victims.

He 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.

"I have nothing but praise for the continued bravery of the victims."

Det Con Sutcliffe said Fleming now faced a long time in prison and would be "robustly monitored by the authorities for the rest of his life".

In addition to the 24-year jail term, the judge gave Fleming an extended sentence with an additional three years to serve on licence.

He was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offenders register for life.

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