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Derek Johnson Jailed for 15 Years for Grooming and Sexual Abuse of Teenage Girls

Digital forensics with victim testimony exposed extensive offending across three counties.

Overview

  • Johnson, 59, was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court to 15 years in prison with a 10‑year minimum, plus five years on licence, an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and restraining orders.
  • He admitted 16 sexual offences against children aged 13 to 16, with crimes committed between 2020 and 2023 in Gloucestershire, Cornwall and West Yorkshire.
  • Police said he groomed victims online, including first contact via Tumblr, then travelled to meet and abuse them, at times relocating to continue the offending.
  • Forensic analysis of seized devices uncovered numerous child‑abuse videos, including 42 Category A videos of one victim, and a calendar app recording the offences.
  • After an initial arrest in Stevenage, he breached bail and fled to the Republic of Ireland before being arrested and extradited back to the UK to face prosecution.