Man who had sex with girls is jailed

A YOUNG man who had sex with girls as young as 13 while offering them drink and drugs has been jailed for nine years.

Austin Stuart-Taylor, pictured below, saw the girls at a friend’s flat he took over in Taunton town centre, Bristol Crown Court heard.

Some would still be wearing their school uniform when they entered the apartment, where the 21-year-old would acquire and deal out cannabis, ketamine, MDMA and cocaine.

He had sex with three girls aged between 13 and 17 between 2015 and 2017.

Sentencing him at Bristol Crown Court yesterday, Judge Michael Longman said: “The sexual offences involved three young victims, all younger than you by many years, all of them vulnerable, and you took advantage of that.

“All the sexual offending took place [at the Taunton property] where you were staying and where they visited.

“It was an environment in which drug-taking was rife.

“Though I don’t sentence you on the basis that you deliberately supplied drugs or alcohol for the purpose of taking sexual advantage of these girls, it is clear that at least one of them had been drinking and you knew that and took advantage of that and had sex with her.”

Stuart-Taylor, of Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset, made no reaction as he was sentenced on 13 charges.

At trial, he was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a child and four counts of offering to supply drugs.

He was also found guilty of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, permitting premises to be used for doing drugs and three counts of possession of indecent photographs of a child.

He admitted two counts of offering up drugs and one count of supplying a drug.

Referring to the girls who were sexually abused, Kannan Siva, prosecuting, said: “All three victims have suffered, especially in relation to their education.”

Rhodri James, defending, said Stuart-Taylor would not go out to find people – rather they would arrive at his flat.

He added: “He was at a low ebb and he would do anything he could do to get drugs.”

Stuart-Taylor was also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely.