Tye Hunt 23

Description

Two young girls have been safeguarded after a detailed investigation saw an offender jailed for his attempt to manipulate and coerce them into sexual activity.

This follows an investigation led by Essex Police in partnership with other forces to identify, investigate and arrest 23-year-old Tye Hunt.

Hunt, living in Essex at the time of the offending in 2022 and 2023, used Snapchat to approach and groom two teenage girls, aged 12 and 14.

He attempted to arrange to meet the 12-year-old girl for sexual activity.

Hunt also sent her explicit pictures, pressuring and manipulating her into doing the same.

He lied to the 14-year-old girl by claiming he was 16, again sending her explicit pictures and telling her he would pay for a hotel for them to meet up.

The victims approached their local police forces, which gathered initial evidence and worked with us after establishing Hunt lived in the Harwich area.

Hunt, now of Brockley Road, London, was arrested and later admitted charges of attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence and two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child.

Convicted and jailed

He appeared for sentence at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday 25 November, where he was jailed for two years and ten months.

Crucially, he will remain the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order monitoring his behaviour and use of devices.

Restraining orders were secured prohibiting contact of any kind with either victim.

In a victim impact statement, one victim said:

“I want the court to understand that the damage caused by grooming doesn’t stop when the contact ends or when justice is done.

“It continues to affect every aspect of my life and the lives of others who experience it.

“I stopped going to school and socialising with friends as I couldn’t face seeing others.”

In a statement for the court, staff at one victim’s school, which supported her throughout, said:

“She has had forced upon her anxiety, shame, doubt, fear, obscenity, guilt, feelings of violation, mistrust, self-destruction and has been emotionally damaged beyond our understanding which will always have an impact on her view of life and people.

“She has had a part of her life taken from her that will never be given back and the bravery this pupil has shown throughout this ordeal is a testament to the strength she has within herself.

“Having spoken to her, she has said that when she is ready, she wants to use this experience as a way of helping others that have and unfortunately may experience anything like this.

“The perpetrator of this act has impacted countless people and should be made to face the consequences of this appalling act of manipulation and exploitation.”

'He wasn't able to get away with it'

Investigating officer DC Claire March, of Clacton CID, said:

“I’d firstly pay tribute to the actions of the two girls, both in their maturity and patience working with police to gather the best possible evidence.

“One of the victims was in court with her family to face Hunt at sentence, showing such courage and strength.

“Going through the criminal justice process can be daunting and it’s important to say that we have specially trained officers on hand to support child victims.

“If you’re not ready to speak to us, there are a number of other independent organisations you can speak to for support and advice.

“It was vital we ensured Hunt was brought to justice to prevent further harm to other children.

“We immediately treated these reports with the utmost seriousness they deserved.

“Hunt’s behaviour was predatory and targeted towards young girls with the aim of sexual gratification.

“His use of social media to identify victims was a troubling feature of this case.

“But thanks to the close partnership we had with other forces in the areas where victims came forward, we were able to build a case against Hunt, track him down and arrest him.

“He wasn’t able to get away with it and he’s rightly facing a prison sentence for his actions.”