Isle of Wight man jailed for child sexual abuse has sentence extended

A man jailed for the sexual abuse of nine children has had his sentence extended on appeal.

Jonathan Richard Maertens, 35, of Freshwater, recorded himself abusing the girls, aged between four and 17.

Following an investigation, during which almost 2,500 pieces of footage and 12,000 indecent images detailing his direct offending were found on hard drives, he pleaded guilty to 34 separate indictments:

• 10 multiple incident counts of rape of a child under 13
• Three counts including two multiple incident counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration
• Five counts of sexual assault of a child under 13
• Three counts including one multiple incident count of rape of a child
• Two multiple incident counts of assault by penetration of a child
• Three counts of sexual assault of a child
• Three counts of taking indecent photographs of a child
• One count of making indecent photographs of a child
• Three counts including two multiple incident counts of administering a substance with intent
• One count of possessing a paedophile manual

Maertens was subsequently jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years at Isle of Wight Crown Court on November 23, last year.

However, the court's decision was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) Scheme.

At a hearing today (Friday 19 March 2021), the court found Maertens' sentence was unduly lenient and extended the minimum term to be served to 25 years.

Following the hearing, Detective Sergeant Damon Kennard said: "We welcome the Court of Appeal decision today to extend the sentence of Jonathan Maertens.

"I hope this provides further justice to the girls and their families, who continue to receive support from services as they seek to move on with their lives.

"We take all reports of sexual assault extremely seriously and will do everything we can to bring those responsible to justice.

"It is vital for us that people have the confidence to report incidents to us.

"Anyone who has been a victim of child abuse, or has any information about this type of abuse, is encouraged to contact police on 101.

"Alternatively, contact Child Line on 0800 11 11, or if you are an adult who has been affected, you can call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000."