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Yeovil rapist who 'snatched away childhoods' jailed

News imageAvon and Somerset Police Michael SellingsAvon and Somerset Police
Avon and Somerset Police said Michael Sellings was "a dangerous sexual offender who has now been brought to justice"

A paedophile who abused two young girls "snatched away their childhoods", a court has heard.

Michael Sellings, 63, of Horsey Lane in Yeovil, has been jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to 12 sexual offences.

A victim impact statement read to Taunton Crown Court on Friday said the girls had endured "terrible nightmares, flashbacks, and panic attacks".

The judge said Sellings had caused "absolute devastation".

Sellings' offending took place between November 2016 and June 2021 during which time he groomed and abused his victims.

Officers from Avon and Somerset Police arrested Sellings following a tip off.

A search of his home revealed 11 different items on which photos of children had been stored.

In total, Sellings had more than 7,000 images including 1,751 category A images - considered the most serious.

Officers also uncovered 28 images that Sellings had taken himself of two children under the age of 13.

'Horrific crimes'

A victim impact statement said what had happened would "forever impact their lives".

"The best outcome of this is knowing that the girls are now safe and away from him and that, in time, they will learn to cope," the statement said.

"But this will never fix, it will never go away. He has snatched away their childhoods."

Pleading guilty to 12 separate changes, Sellings admitted:

  • Three counts of raping a child under the age of 13
  • One count of causing/inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity
  • Three counts of making indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of a child
  • Three counts of taking an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child
  • One count of possessing extreme pornographic images
  • One count of possessing prohibited images of a child

Det Con Rich Glanville said: "The victims have shown remarkable courage following a very traumatic period of prolonged abuse by Michael Sellings, who had clearly groomed these young children so he could commit these horrific crimes.

"He is a dangerous sexual offender who has now been brought to justice."

In addition to the custodial sentence, Sellings was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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