Two Jailed For Isle Of Wight Child Abuse Offences

Two people have been jailed for physically abusing a child on the Isle of Wight.

Toby Lucas, aged 29, and 25-year-old Courtney Strong appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court for sentencing on Friday 2 May.

Police uncovered video evidence of the abuse, which showed the child – who was under the age of 10 at the time – being bound with tape and physically injured by Lucas.

Strong was present during the abuse, which took place last year, but did nothing to intervene.

Officers were alerted, and following an investigation by the specialist Isle of Wight Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT), Lucas and Strong were charged with assault, ill-treatment or neglect of a child likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury.

Both admitted the offences in court.

Lucas, of Home Meade in Newport, was subsequently handed a 10 year extended prison sentence, and Strong, of Medeway in Sandown, was jailed for 30 months.

PC Sheryl Taylor, from Isle of Wight CAIT, said:

“The abuse uncovered by police was nothing short of horrific.

"The child in this case had been bound and caused injury and suffering, in addition to being left incredibly distressed.

“No child should ever have to experience this sort of thing.

"The actions of both defendants and the parts they played in either inflicting the suffering or doing nothing to prevent it is utterly abhorrent. They will now face time in prison as a result of this.

“The Isle of Wight CAIT team is dedicated to protecting children, who are the most vulnerable members of our society, and taking action against perpetrators who abuse or neglect them.

“If you are aware of any form of child abuse – act now and report it. We take all of these allegations seriously and will do everything we can to keep children safe.”

We want to encourage anyone who has been affected by abuse to contact police on 101, where you can speak to an officer in confidence.

We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to talk to police about what they have experienced.

Please be reassured that there are other services available that can offer you specialist support to help you deal with the impact of abuse.

There is information and advice regarding on our website here: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/caa/child-abuse/

Alternatively, contact Child Line on 0800 11 11, or if you are an adult who has been affected, you can call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000.