A former soldier stationed in North Yorkshire has been jailed for 24 years after admitting 83 cyber-enabled child sexual abuse and exploitation offences across the UK.
Austen Tobias Fleming, 28, of Stirling Road, Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today.
As well as the custodial sentence, he also has to serve an extra three years on licence, been made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and placed on the Register of Sex Offender for the rest of his life.
The Judge commended the North Yorkshire Police investigation team at the sentencing.
Fleming was based at Dishforth Airfield, near Thirsk, when the Online Child Abuse Team (OCAT) acted on intelligence that he had attempted to extort sexual imagery from a child. Fleming was arrested on 14 November 2022 and his accommodation searched for evidence.
Following a review of the digital devices recovered, it quickly became apparent to detectives that his offending was on a prolific scale, with victims the length and breadth of the country all of whom needed to be traced and safeguarded.
Officers established that Fleming would set up multiple fake social media profiles, including female ones, and was grooming children to send indecent images and videos of themselves.
He would covertly record his interactions with them to use as leverage to extort further explicit material from his victims.
When the children refused, Fleming would threaten to share the images already sent with their loved ones or send small payments or vouchers to illicit more indecent material from his victims.
Fleming was further arrested on suspicion of making indecent images of children and facilitating a child sex offence. He was interviewed and bailed while the investigation intensified to recover evidence and identify victims.
The investigation established that Fleming’s offending stemmed from December 2020 to January 2023, detailing his long-standing interest in child sexual abuse material.
With evidence mounting, Fleming was re-arrested on 16 December 2024 for multiple offences including blackmail, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, causing the exploitation of a child, and distributing indecent images of children.
He answered ‘no comment’ to all the questions put to him during the police interview including those relating to the disturbing victims’ accounts of his offending.
One victim was so badly traumatised by the threats made by Fleming that he attempted to take his own life. Others were left crying and shaking with fear by what he had put them through.
The youngest of Fleming’s many victims was aged just 10 and the oldest only 17.
They were from various parts of Scotland, Wales and England, including Kent, London, Surrey, Sussex, Lincolnshire, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Nottingham, Cheshire, Lancashire, West Yorkshire, Humberside, Durham and North Yorkshire.
Fleming was charged with:
- 25 counts of an adult inciting a child to engage in sexual activity of a non-penetrative nature.
- 23 counts of causing sexual exploitation of a child to transmit an indecent image of themselves.
- 5 counts of an adult inciting a child to engage in sexual activity with penetration.
- 1 count of obtaining the sexual services of a child by payment.
- 5 counts of making unwarranted demands with menaces.
- 2 counts of intentionally causing a child to look at sexual activity.
- 1 count of making an indecent image of a child – Category A
- 1 count of distributing indecent image of a child – Category A
- 11 counts of making an indecent image of a child – Category B
- 9 counts of making an indecent image of a child – Category C
Detective Constable Tom Sutcliffe from the Online Child Abuse Team, who led the investigation, said: “This has been a large-scale investigation involving constabularies in Scotland, England and Wales. Their support has been crucial in obtaining accounts from the many victims of Fleming.
“It has also required collaborative safeguarding working involving social services across the UK to ensure the young people involved receive the support that they need.
“I have nothing but praise for the continued bravery of the victims.”
DC Sutcliffe added: “Fleming is clearly a depraved offender who poses a significant danger to young people especially. He now faces a long time in prison and will be robustly monitored by the authorities for the rest of his life.”
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