Martin Kevin Turner

A former Royal Marine from Poole has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the systematic sexual abuse of a young girl over a three-year period. Martin Kevin Turner, 51, of Trinidad Crescent, Poole, was convicted at Bournemouth Crown Court following a four-day re-trial.

The court heard that Turner first abused the girl when she was just eight years old. Over the subsequent years, he performed sex acts on her, kissed her in an adult manner, and forced her to touch him. In one particularly harrowing incident, when the victim was around 10 or 11 years old, Turner pinned her to the floor and sexually assaulted her, leaving her terrified.

Turner was arrested on 27 January 2023, during which two laptop computers were seized from his home. He denied all offences during police interviews but was ultimately found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault. In addition to his custodial sentence, Turner has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which bars him from visiting or residing with young people.

During the sentencing, Turner's defence counsel, Robert Grey, highlighted that Turner was of previous good character and had been assessed as having a low likelihood of reoffending. Grey noted Turner's five years of service in the Royal Marines, including tours in Belfast during the Troubles, and mentioned that his partner of nine years remains supportive.

Judge John Harrow addressed Turner directly, stating: "You subjected your victim to repeated sexual indignities in a variety of ways for your own gratification. You took advantage of her vulnerability. You cynically and systematically destroyed the innocence of her childhood and she still bears the psychological scars years on." The judge emphasised the profound impact of Turner's actions on the victim's life.

This case was reported by the Bournemouth Echo, based on proceedings at Bournemouth Crown Court. The abuse occurred in the Poole area, underscoring the hidden nature of such offences within communities.