Alan Roy Morris

A man from Bishopstone, Wiltshire, has been sentenced to three years in prison for a series of child sex offences committed last year. Alan Roy Morris, aged 62, of Whitlock Rise, appeared at Salisbury Crown Court where he was convicted on three counts of exposure, one count of sexual assault, and one count of causing or inciting a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity.

The court heard that the offences took place between January and June 2023. Recorder Peter Towler, presiding over the case, highlighted Morris's denial of his actions during sentencing. 'You don’t appear to accept guilt or that there was anything wrong in the way you were behaving,' the judge stated, rejecting a plea for a community order.

Defending Morris, Marcus Tregilgas-Davey argued for leniency, noting that while Morris had a relevant previous conviction from over 20 years ago, he had otherwise led a law-abiding and productive life. Tregilgas-Davey described the impact on Morris's personal life, stating: 'He has lost his home and a relationship of 16 years and he has been ostracised by the few members of his family and friends he had.' He also emphasised Morris's poor health and suggested a community order could help address the root causes, adding: 'He has his eyes closed to his offending. A community order is the one thing that may help this man address what has led him to these offences.'

However, Recorder Towler deemed such an approach unlikely to succeed due to Morris's 'constant denial of his behaviour.' In addition to the three-year custodial sentence, Morris was issued a lifetime sexual offences prevention order, which restricts his access to children, and he will remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely. The case was reported by the Salisbury Journal on 25 October 2024, following proceedings at Salisbury Crown Court.