Man who raped child has prison sentence increased

A man jailed for raping a 10-year-old girl he groomed on social media has had his sentence increased by three years.

Ryan Sutton, 24, from Worcester, was sentenced to six years in prison at Northampton Crown Court in December after pleading guilty to five separate sexual offences, including rape of a child under 13.

At the Court of Appeal earlier this month, his sentence was upped to nine years after the solicitor general Lucy Rigby KC MP intervened under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

"The offender groomed and abused a child. His crimes were truly abhorrent and the court has quite rightly increased his sentence," she said.

"My thoughts today are with the victim of this offender's actions, and her family.

"This case should serve as a strong warning that this government will take all possible action to protect women and girls from any form of abuse," she added.

Sutton's trial heard he met the victim on social media in March 2023, the Attorney General's Office said.

It added that the court was told Sutton groomed the victim with flattery and offers to spend money on her, and messages were often sexual in nature and the pair exchanged photographs.

Between 11 and 23 April 2023, he and the victim spoke on Facetime 225 times.

On 23 April, Sutton travelled from his home to meet the girl before he raped her.

When he was later spotted with his victim, he ran off before being arrested.

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