A former soldier stationed has been jailed for 24 years after admitting 83 cyber-enabled child sexual abuse and exploitation offences across the UK. Austen Tobias Fleming was based at Dishforth Airfield, near Thirsk, when the Online Child Abuse Team (OCAT) acted on intelligence that he had attempted to extort sexual imagery from a child.

The 28-year-old was arrested on November 14, 2022, and his accommodation in North Yorkshire searched for evidence. Following a review of the digital devices recovered, it quickly became apparent to North Yorkshire Police detectives that his offending was on a prolific scale, with victims the length and breadth of the country all of whom needed to be traced and safeguarded.

Officers established that Fleming would set up multiple fake social media profil

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