Tilbury: Man jailed for child sex offences

A 20-year-old man has been given an extended seven-year sentence and deemed a risk to the public after engaging in sexual activity with a child.

Tyrese Smith, of Grove Road, Romford, will serve a four year and eight month sentence in a young offenders' institution, before he is subject to an extended period on license of two years and four months.

This sentence follows his guilty pleas to all charges Essex Police secured against him, including three counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child.

He also admitted other charges secured by our colleagues from the Met Police in relation to sexual communications with a child and possession of indecent images of children.

Officers with our Child Abuse Investigations Team (CAIT), along with support from the Adult Sexual Abuse Investigation Team (ASAIT) and Grays Local Investigations Team had launched enquiries after concerns were raised over reported sexual activity between Smith and a child in the Tilbury area last year.

This also followed reports Smith had breached his bail conditions imposed by the Metropolitan Police.

We spoke to the victim, putting immediate support in place, before carrying out a number of enquiries to locate and arrest Smith on 27 November last year.

Smith was heard to make a significant comment when fleeing the victim’s address just hours before his arrest, voicing his fear he would be jailed for his offending.

Specialist officers from our CAIT and Local Investigations Team obtained accounts from the victim and seized forensic exhibits from their address.

Smith answered no comment to all questions asked of him in interview, but later admitted all charges at Basildon Crown Court thanks to the evidence we gathered.

Appearing at court for sentence on Wednesday 28 February, he was also made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and requirements as a Registered Sex Offender, which will monitor his use of electronic devices and prohibit contact with children.

An indefinite restraining order will strictly prohibit further contact with the victim.

'This was serious and committed offending'

T/DC Matthew D Edson, officer in the case, said:

“Smith groomed, exploited and took advantage of a child for his own sexual gratification.
“Thankfully the court shared our view – that the impact on the victim in this case has been profound and long-lasting.
“As such Smith will rightly serve an extended sentence.
“The orders that will be in place after his release from prison will ensure he is monitored and kept away from young people in the future.
“I would like to reserve my praise in this case for Smith’s victim, who has shown great maturity and dignity in coping with the pressures of seeing this case concluded, and also the victim’s family who have supported them throughout this process.
“Support is readily available for any victims of sexual offending, regardless of age, both through our specialist teams and partners.”

Synergy Essex offers independent and specialised services for individuals who have experienced rape or sexual abuse in Essex.

Synergy Essex is a partnership of three services; Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse (CARA), SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service, and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis).

The services provided by Synergy Essex are independent of the police. This ensures individuals can seek help whether they choose to report the incident or not. This could be in relation to something that happened recently or in the past.

Survivors and victims can access support by reaching out on their own or through a referral from someone they trust. This could be a family member, friend, or professional.

At Synergy Essex, people of all ages can benefit from specialised emotional support. This includes counselling and advocacy.

For those pursuing legal action, they offer the help of an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA). The advisers can guide and support them through the criminal justice process.

To learn more about the services available, please visit the Synergy Essex website.

At Essex Police we put victims at the heart of everything we do. The Victims’ Code explains the rights that everyone can expect to receive as a victim of crime, and helps us define what we must do for all victims from their initial contact with our force until the conclusion of their case.

Find out more about the code and to understand the rights of a victim of crime, on our support for victims and witnesses of crime page.

To report a crime, please use our digital 101 service. In an emergency call 999.