Reuben Poll

A teaching assistant from Norfolk has been sentenced to two years and four months in prison following admissions of multiple child sex offences. Reuben Poll, originally from Jewson Road in Norwich, targeted four boys in Swaffham and Norwich through grooming, abduction, and sexual assault.

The court heard that Poll, aged 20, used the alias 'Jordan Green' on Facebook to initiate contact with an 11-year-old boy in early December 2012. Posing as a 16-year-old, he sent private messages making sexual comments and encouraged the child to send explicit photos, while also sharing pornographic images. Poll groomed the boy by claiming, 'I want to be like your big bro and look after you.' The interactions escalated when Poll arranged to meet the boy at a park in January 2013, but the plan was thwarted after the child's mother noticed behavioural changes and discovered the messages on the family laptop.

• The mother reported the findings to Norfolk Police, leading to Poll's arrest on 12 January 2013.
• At the time of arrest, two other boys, aged 12 and 15, were found in Poll's white Renault Clio without parental consent; Poll admitted two counts of child abduction, claiming they were heading to his flat for decorating.
• Additionally, Poll confessed to sexual assault by touching at a Swaffham youth club where he volunteered; the club had initially dismissed the boy's report, believing Poll's denial.

Prosecutor William Carter detailed the case at Norwich Crown Court, highlighting how Poll had 'drawn me in' through deceptive online chats. Poll, who worked as a teaching assistant at primary schools in Norfolk and volunteered at the youth club, exploited his positions of trust. Following the sentencing, Poll was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years.

Mitigating, Andrew Shaw described Poll's troubled background, noting he was the son of Carmen Dye, described in court as 'probably Norwich's most notorious prostitute'. Taken into foster care at age eight and raised in Dereham, Poll's life was further destabilised by the death of his sister Natasha Dye from a drug overdose supplied by their mother's partner, leading to depression and job loss. Despite this context, the court imposed the custodial sentence for the string of offences against the four boys.

Norfolk Police issued a warning to parents post-sentencing, urging vigilance over children's online activities amid the 'dangers of the online world'. The case underscores the risks of social networking sites and the importance of parental oversight.