Hampshire child sex offender receives increased prison sentence at the Court of Appeal

A Hampshire man who committed multiple sexual offences against children has had his prison sentence increased after his case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General Alex Chalk QC MP.

In 2019 Gawain Fallows, now 36, was found to be in possession of a mobile phone which had a large number of indecent images of children. His phone also had an extensive number of sexual messages with a victim aged 14-15 which included requests for explicit images and videos.

Between March and April 2021, while under investigation for the earlier offences, Fallows exchanged sexualised messages with an undercover police officer posing as a 12-year-old girl. In August Fallows then exchanged similar messages with two undercover anti-pedophile activists posing as a 13-year-old girl and her 11-year-old younger sister.

On 16 March 2022 Fallows was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months’ imprisonment at Portsmouth Crown Court for 14 counts of various child sex offences including causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and making indecent images of children. He was also made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Following the sentencing, the Solicitor General referred the original sentence to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme because he believed it was too low.

On 08 June the Court of Appeal found Fallows’ sentence to be unduly lenient and sentenced him to a prison term of 5 years and 6 months.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General Alex Chalk QC MP said:

Gawain Fallows committed many sexual offences against children and his crimes merited a stronger sentence to properly reflect those offences. I hope today’s verdict sends a clear message that all child sex offenders can expect to receive the full force of the law.