A paedophile from Welwyn Garden City who abused a 14-year-old girl has been jailed for more than four years.

Callum Castle was sentenced to four years and eight months behind bars for five offences, including engaging in sexual communications with a child, engaging in sexual activity with a child, child abduction, and making indecent images of a child.

He was sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday, November 22, having pleaded guilty to all offences at an earlier hearing.

He will be put on the Sex Offenders Register and will have to abide indefinitely by the conditions of a lengthy Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The 27-year-old was issued with a Child Abduction Warning Notice on March 14 this year, after concerns were raised about his behaviour.

The notice warned him not to have any contact with his victim, but continued to meet with the girl and assisted in keeping her away from responsible people.

Castle was arrested in May following an investigation into his relationship with the victim, after concerns were raised about contact still taking place between them.

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He was bailed with strict conditions not to contact the victim, however the conditions were breached and Castle was re-arrested in June and remanded into custody.

"We will take pro-active action against anyone who targets vulnerable young people," said Detective Constable Vicky Sexton, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Safeguarding team.

"One way to do this is by issuing a Child Abduction Warning Notice, which is a notice to the person to have no contact with the child.

"Failure to comply with the notice has implications and can provide evidence to support the prosecution of other criminal offences, which occurred in this instance.

"Becoming a victim of sexual assault is never your fault. If you’ve been a victim, no matter how long ago the offence occurred, please report it. We have specialist officers on hand to provide advice and support throughout an investigation.

"The constabulary also has a number of officers who are specially trained to provide support to members of the LGBT+ community."