Andrew Thorne, labeled “very dangerous,” imprisoned for online child abuse

A 51-year-old man, who received a 24-year prison sentence after admitting to child sex abuse offences, has been described by police as a “very dangerous individual.” Andrew Thorne, from Bristol, employed online platforms to message children aged between six and 16, soliciting them to engage in sexual activity on camera. An investigation subsequently uncovered 182 victims. Police discovered that Thorne had downloaded hundreds of sexual abuse images, some featuring children as young as 18 months old. He also recorded himself “upskirting” more than 200 women and children in public. Thorne was additionally issued a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order during his sentencing at Bristol Crown Court on 25 October. He is mandated to serve a minimum of 18 years in prison before qualifying for parole. The judge remarked that the court “had not seen a case like this” and that the “sheer number of victims was more than the court had ever seen.” Thorne was arrested on 10 August 2023, and the full extent of his offending came to light when police confiscated his electronic devices. Investigating officer Lucy Hartill stated: “Thorne is a very dangerous individual who has repeatedly targeted children, the most vulnerable in society, both online and offline.“ She added: “He has directed children to engage in harmful sexual behaviour which will undoubtedly have a profound effect on them for the rest of their lives, all for his own selfish desires.“ Hartill concluded: “This has been a difficult and complex investigation, but the sentence demonstrates how seriously we take these matters and our enduring work to bring offenders such as this to justice.”