‘Dangerous’ Rotherham paedophile has prison sentence extended after admitting another sex crime

Tom Steven Wilkes, aged 26 and formerly of Pitt Street, Kimberworth, had his sentence extended at Sheffield Crown Court after pleading guilty to the sexual assault of a child.

TRIAL: Man saw his friend being fatally stabbed in alleyway next to Sheffield pub, court told  He is currently serving a 10-year stretch after being jailed in November 2015 for multiple offences committed against teenage girls in Rotherham.

The court heard how, as part of the police investigation into Wilkes’ sexual offending, officers examining digital devices identified another teenage victim who had been groomed by the paedophile online.

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He sent numerous, sexually explicit messages before convincing the 13-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to meet up.

When she met him, Wilkes sexually assaulted her.

PC Brett Thompson, of South Yorkshire Police, said: “Wilkes is a dangerous, predatory individual who exploited and groomed a number of teenage girls online.

“In this case, he told his victim he was much younger than he was, saying he was 16 when he was in fact 21-years-old, duping her and luring her to a secluded location so he could attack her.

“He was much bigger and stronger than the victim, so this must have been a terrifying experience.

“The victim remains deeply affected by what happened to her and I commend her for the bravery she has shown throughout our investigation. She has received support from police and independent sexual violence advocates in the run up to these court proceedings, which for any victim can be incredibly daunting.”

He added: “Wilkes has shown no remorse for his crimes and I hope this additional sentencing demonstrates to the public that we are absolutely committed to seeking justice for victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

"Wherever possible we will bring further evidence before the courts, to keep dangerous individuals like Wilkes in prison for longer, where he can cause no further harm.”

The prosecution and sentencing of Wilkes followed a joint investigation involving South Yorkshire Police and Rotherham Council.

Councillor Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Council, said:  “We continue to work in partnership with South Yorkshire Police and the National Crime Agency to bring perpetrators of this kind of crime to justice, whether this is through current crimes or for those committed in the past. Child sexual exploitation will not be tolerated in Rotherham.”