May 10, 2019 5.10 pm This story is over 58 months old

Man jailed for sex attacks on girls aged 5 and 7

He was jailed for 10 years

Nathan Pedge was jailed for 10 years. Photo: Lincolnshire Police

A paedophile who carried out sex attacks on two young girls, aged 5 and 7, was jailed for 10 years after being branded as dangerous by a judge.

Nathan Pedge was given an extended sentence by Judge Simon Hirst which means that he will have to serve at least two-thirds of his sentence before he can be considered for release by the Parole Board.

Pedge was also given an extended licence of three years, which means that if he is released early he will remain on licence until March 2032 during which time he will be at risk of being returned to prison.

Lincoln Crown Court was told that Pedge was arrested in January after one of his victims told her mother what had happened.

The girl’s mother confronted Pedge and then contacted police. Pedge was arrested and confessed that he had sexually abused the girl and had also seriously sexually assaulted a second girl.

Mark Watson, prosecuting, said that when asked by police about the offences Pedge responded: “It’s just urges. Sexual urges.”

He added that he had himself been sexually abused as a young boy.

Mr Watson said that one of the girls was five-years-old and the other was seven. The offences happened at a time when Pedge, who has links to the Gosberton area, was homeless.

The court was told that Pedge later told a psychologist that he had raped one of the girls and tried to rape the other. The psychologist identified Pedge as posing a significant risk to pre-pubescent children.

Pedge, 26, of no fixed address, admitted two charges of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13 on dates between November 1, 2018 and January 7 this year.

He was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Judge Simon Hirst, passing sentence, said he considered Pedge to be dangerous and told him: “I am satisfied that you present such a risk. The psychologist considers that your risk is of the most serious nature and would be likely to pose serious physical and psychological harm. I consider it necessary to impose an extended sentence to protect the public in the future.”

Karen Walton, in mitigation, said: “At the moment he is presenting as somebody who does not quite understand how he has become sexually motivated towards children and connects it to his own abuse.”