A man from Melksham has been jailed for 18-and-a-half years after being found guilty of a number of sexual offences.
During a trial at Swindon Crown Court, Edward Caldwell, 34, who is now living in Weymouth, was found guilty of: Rape of a child under 13; Assault of a child under 13 by penetration; Causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity; Two counts of possession of indecent images of children.
He was sentenced last week during a hearing at Portsmouth Crown Court.
The offences came to light in November 2016 when specialist officers monitoring internet activity traced the downloading and sharing of child abuse images to an IP address at Caldwell’s home.
When officers arrested Caldwell they seized a computer and tablet device and discovered a large number of indecent images had been downloaded between May 2015 and April 2016.
The indecent images of children ranged from category A (the most serious) to category C and included more than 3,700 pictures and films.
Shortly after his arrest, his victim disclosed incidents of sexual abuse to a family member, who contacted the police.
PC Melonie Neal, from Wiltshire Police’s child internet exploitation team, praised the young victim for her bravery in speaking up about the abuse.
She said, “This has been a very traumatic case for the victim and her family and I would like to personally thank them for their co-operation and bravery during this difficult investigation and trial.
“I welcome this sentence. I know that nothing will undo Caldwell’s crimes but I hope this sentence will bring them some comfort that justice has been done.
“We would like to use this case as an opportunity to reach out to other people who have been the victim of sexual abuse and reassure them that Wiltshire Police takes these types of crimes incredibly seriously.
“We will listen to you and will give you the necessary support.”
Please contact Wiltshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. Victims can also seek support and counselling from the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) based in Swindon. They can be contacted on the 24-hour helpline 0808 1680024.
Pictured: Caldwell
