Former Somerset PCSO Lawrence Dunn jailed for sex abuse

Ex-PCSO Lawrence Dunn was jailed for eight years at Exeter Crown Court

A former PCSO from Burnham-on-Sea has been jailed for sexually abusing a teenage girl he met while working for Avon and Somerset Police.

At a trial in October, Lawrence Dunn, 48, was found guilty of six counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of attempted sexual activity.

Dunn was found not guilty of a third charge of attempted sexual activity. He had denied all charges.

He was sentenced to eight years in prison at Exeter Crown Court.

The offences came to light following an investigation into Dunn's conduct that began when the teenage girl said that she had been abused in 2007.

Avon and Somerset Police said Dunn had resigned from the force in 2008 when the allegations were made.

'Gross abuse of trust'

Det Con Rebecca Maddison said Dunn had committed a "gross abuse of his position of trust".

Ms Maddison also criticised Dunn for not sparing his teenage victim the trauma of giving evidence in court.

"He had every opportunity to plead guilty following this investigation, instead he put his victim through the trauma of a trial," she said.

"It is down to the victim's courage and bravery to speak about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Dunn, that he has been brought to justice for his offences and handed a sentence that reflects the severity of his actions."

Dunn was also handed a lifetime sex offenders prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register.