December 2018

Oakham man sentenced for sexual abuse against young girls

An Oakham man has been given a six year custodial sentence after pleading guilty to a number of sexual offences against six young girls.

In October, Ryan Steadman, 20, of Stud Road, Barleythorpe, Oakham, pleaded guilty to 11 counts against six victims at Leicester Crown Court.

The pleas relate to five counts of causing a child aged 13 to 15 to watch a sexual act, four counts of inciting a child aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity and two counts of sexual activity with a child, aged 13 to 14.

The offences happened between 2015 and 2018.

Steadman was originally charged with 39 counts against 11 victims

At Leicester Crown Court today (December 14), Steadman was given a six year custodial sentence, an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) and ordered to be on the sex offenders register for life.

Steadman was arrested in February this year when officers received information from another police force that a 14-year-old girl had travelled to Leicestershire to meet with Steadman after chatting on social media.

It was alleged that while in Oakham, Steadman had engaged in sexual activity with the girl.

October 2018

Paedophile abused girls as young as 13 after befriending them on Snapchat

A man committed sex offences against six different underage girls as young as 13 after befriending them on Snapchat.

Ryan Steadman had originally been charged with a total of 39 offences against 11 different girls and at Leicester Crown Court yesterday he admitted charges relating to six of them.

The 20-year-old, of Stud Road, Barleythorpe, Oakham, was first arrested in February this year when Leicestershire Police received information from another force that a 14-year-old girl had travelled to Oakham to meet with Steadman after chatting on social media and that they had engaged in sexual activity.

After being questioned by detectives he was released from custody while the investigation continued and further allegations were discovered.

The 11 admitted offences, which happened between 2015 and 2018, are:

• Five counts of causing a child under 15 to watch a sexual act

• Four counts of inciting a child under 15 to engage in sexual activity

• Two counts of sexual activity with a child, aged 13 to 14

The other 28 offences that he did not admit will lie on file, which means he has not been cleared of them but that it is not considered in the interests of justice to pursue them.

Steadman will be sentenced at a later date.