Brigwater police officer abused 14-year-old girl in patrol car

A police community support officer who sexually abused a 14-year-old girl in his patrol car while paying an official school visit has been jailed for eight years.

Lawrence Dunn, 48, forced the young girl into repeated sexual acts over two years. He threatened to cause trouble to her family if she didn't keep quiet.

Yesterday he was jailed for eight years after a judge branded his behaviour "the highest and grosses breach of trust"

He was jailed for eight years yesterday after a judge at Taunton Crown Court branded his behaviour "the highest and grossest breach of trust".

As a PCSO in Bridgwater, Somerset, Dunn often visited schools in an official capacity to give crime advice and counselling to children.

It was during one of these visits that Dunn first met the shy teenage victim – he approached her at the gates and arranged to meet her again later, Exeter Crown Court was told.

After this first act, he began to abuse the innocent teenager at home when her parents were away, taking her to remote laybys where he sexually attacked her.

Dunn, a grandfather himself, did not have full sex with the girl because he is a diabetic with a form of impotence.

The victim's friends eventually reported the issues to teachers and the police after becoming extremely worried about her contact with the PSCO.

Her head teacher described the victim as a "kind and considerate girl but one who was vulnerable and regarded school as offering a sense of security and continuity".

During a trial at Taunton Crown Court last month, the girl told how she was too much in awe of his position and power to resist when he demanded sex.

She lived with the secret for three years before coming forward as she was frightened about telling the truth. During the initial investigation in 2008, Dunn resigned.

Judge Erik Salomonsen ordered that Dunn, of Axbridge Close, Burnham-on-Sea, remains on the sex offenders' register for life and made a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which bans him from unsupervised contact with children.

The judge told him: "Your victim was vulnerable and I have no doubt you observed this and turned it to your advantage.

"You entered on the pretext of asking questions but then shut her little sister in another room, took down the victim's trousers, and assaulted her.

"She said she felt she had no choice but to submit because you told her otherwise her family would be in trouble.

"She said she wanted to run but thought it would make matters worse.

"The inquiry was not pursued at that stage so there was a delay until July 2011 when she gave a full account to the police for the first time. Her victim impact statement tells of the continuing effect.

"It is hard to imagine a man with a greater degree of trust than someone wearing the uniform of a police officer where your responsibility was to protect the victim.

"You did so using your uniform and using a police car. There was intimidation and coercion. She was scared. In my judgment there was submission on her part rather than free agreement."