Exmouth man jailed for years of sex abuse

Jeremy Owen, 39, of Imperial Road has been jailed for eight years after being found guilty of committing a string of sex offences. Owen denied the charges at Oxford Crown Court.

A MAN from Exmouth who sexually abused a girl over a five-year period has been jailed for eight years.

Jeremy Owen, 39, of Imperial Road, was convicted at Oxford Crown Court of two counts of indecent assault, six counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and a serious sexual assault.

Owen, a former photocopier trade worker previously of Bicester, denied the charges put before him.

The jury heard Owen committed a string of offences between 2001 and 2006.

Andrew Hobson, defending, said Owen maintained his innocence.

Judge Mary Jane Mowat jailed Owen for eight years in total, telling the court the defendant had shown an interest in other young girls aside from his victim.

Judge Mowat said: “One in particular was clearly a grooming relationship in which you made rather feeble efforts which she was able to repel.”

The judge said the victim’s impact statement made “very heart-rending reading.”