Overview
- Austen Tobias Fleming, 28, admitted 83 cyber-enabled child sexual abuse and exploitation offences at Leeds Crown Court on October 21, 2025.
- The judge cited 61 identified victims and 27 not yet identified, with victims aged between 10 and 17 across England, Scotland and Wales.
- Fleming used fake social media profiles, covertly recorded interactions, issued threats to share images, and sometimes offered vouchers or small payments to coerce further material.
- He was first arrested at RAF Dishforth on November 14, 2022, then rearrested on December 16, 2024, after investigators uncovered prolific offending across the UK.
- The sentence includes an extra three years on licence, an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and lifetime placement on the sex offenders’ register, with police noting severe harm including a reported suicide attempt by a 15-year-old.