Sexual predator jailed for abusing children after he was spotted kissing and touching South Yorkshire girl

A sexual predator who groomed and abused girls from across the country, including South Yorkshire, has been jailed for 15 years.
Andrew PykettAndrew Pykett
Andrew Pykett

Andrew Pykett, aged 38, who abused 10 girls between 2004 and 2016, was caught when a member of the public contacted the NSPCC in Novermber 2015 to report suspicions after he was spotted kissing and inappropriately touching a young girl in South Yorkshire.

When detectives examined Pykett's computers and phones, further victims were identified, with officers finding sexualised conversations, indecent images and graphic sexual abuse of children from all parts of the UK and America, including South Yorkshire, Essex, London, Wiltshire, South Wales, Nottingham, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Chesterfield and Cleveland in Tennessee in the US.

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Pykett, of Clarendon Avenue, Leamington Spa, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to 38 child sex offences including 20 counts of sexual activity with a child, seven counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming, one count of trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation and possession of Class A and Class B drugs.

His victims were aged between 13 and 16.

Warwick Crown Court heard that Pykett, who ran an IT business, had a fetish where he pretended to be father figure to his victims.

Detective Sergeant Collette O'Keefe, from Warwickshire's multi-agency child sexual exploitation team, said: "Pykett is a sexual predator, grooming young girls all over the world, in the full knowledge that they were children, for his own gratification.

"I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of the victims in coming forward and speaking to police, as a result of their courage an extremely dangerous man has been convicted.

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"This investigation has taken us nationally and internationally and I would like to thank the professionals who have worked with us and assisted in supporting the victims, in order to achieve this result.

"We know how difficult it can be for victims of sexual abuse to come forward or seek support. The police investigation will continue as further victims are identified."

Pykett has been added to the Sex Offender's Register for life.