The Court of Appeal increased Ryan Sutton’s sentence by three years after his case was referred by the Solicitor General under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

The court heard that Ryan Sutton (24), from Worcester, met the 10-year-old victim on social media in March 2023.

Ryan Sutton groomed the victim with flattery and offers to spend money on them. Messages were often sexual in nature and the pair exchanged photographs. Between 11 and 23 April, Ryan Sutton and the victim spoke on Facetime 225 times.

On 23 April 2023, Ryan Sutton travelled from his home to meet the victim in Finedon before he raped them. Ryan Sutton originally ran off when he was spotted with the victim before police arrested him, where they found condoms in his bag.

The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:

The offender groomed and abused a child. His crimes were truly abhorrent and the court has quite rightly increased his sentence.

My thoughts today are with the victim of this offender’s actions, and her family. This case should serve as a strong warning that this Government will take all possible action to protect women and girls from any form of abuse.

Sutton was charged with one count of rape of a child under 13, one count of assault by penetration of a child under 13, one count of meeting a child following sexual grooming, one count of sexual communication with a child, and one count of sexual assault of a child under 13.

He was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on 19 December 2024 to six years imprisonment with a licence extension of 12 months.

This sentence was increased to nine years’ imprisonment with a licence extension of 12 months on 12 March 2025 at the Court of Appeal.