Ayden Reader: 22-year-old man jailed for nine years after admitting to sexual activity with child

A man has been jailed for nine years after he admitted to having sexual activity with a teenage girl. Ayden Reader, 22, from Taunton, pleaded guilty to 19 charges in total including sexual activity with a child. He also admitted to the taking, making, possession and distribution of indecent images after Avon and Somerset Police officers found almost 4,400 indecent images on his electronic devices.

The discovery of the images came after police received a report of Reader reaching out to a teenage girl on social media. While he was under investigation, an Interim Sexual Harm Prevention Order was secured by officers for Reader, which eventually led him to relocate to Kent while police inquiries continued.

Reader was once again placed under investigation by the Kent Paedophile Online Team investigation after they received reports that he was accessing indecent images while residing in the county. In addition to this, and while under investigation by the two police forces, Reader continued to reach out to teenage girls online, in breach of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and continued to access indecent images on devices which he had not declared to police. Kent Police eventually found almost 2,500 more images.

In a statement, the victim said: “What Ayden has done to me and the way he has treated me has made me less believing of people. When I am anxious, I feel sick, I struggle to sleep and can’t cope in public places without feeling overwhelmed. It made me re-live what happened and made me feel guilty and shame. I am worried that if he would be released from prison, that he might message me again and, if this happens, it will be like a circle for me and never-ending.”

Reader was handed a nine-year prison sentence for the 19 charges, and has been given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He was also given a an indefinite restraining order preventing him from ever contact the victim again.

DC Melanie Downton, an Avon and Somerset Police officer who worked on the case, said: “I would like to first commend the incredibly bravery shown by the victim in this case. She has shown incredible resilience and courage in come forward and supporting our investigation. I am pleased we could get this positive result for her and her family.

“We have worked in partnership with Kent Police to bring this dangerous offender to justice. I hope this sentence will give other sexual offence victims the courage to come forward and report what has happened to them. We have a dedicated child protection team who have a wealth of experience and knowledge in investigating offences of this nature. The team will do their upmost to listen and help victims and provide them with the support they need.”

She urged parents to be vigilant with their child activity on social media, adding: "While social media can be a great tool for connecting with school friends and sharing content, it is also a dangerous tool when used by someone with malicious intent. We urge parents to speak with their children about social media and how to stay safe.”