Man jailed after grooming child online and committing sex offences in Norfolk
The offences spanned months of communication and manipulation.
A 37-year-old man from Scotland has been jailed for eight years for grooming a child online and travelling to Norfolk to commit multiple sex offences against her.
Santiago McMurtrie, of Foyers Road, Kinlochleven, Inverness, was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on 19th January. He received eight years in prison for 11 counts of sexual activity with a child, with an additional one year on licence. McMurtrie was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order prohibiting contact with the victim.
McMurtrie met his victim via Pinterest and engaged in conversations on platforms such as Snapchat and WhatsApp for approximately four and a half months before travelling to Hopton in Norfolk.
The court heard McMurtrie posed as a fisherman to conceal his trip from his wife. DNA evidence and mobile phone data tied him to the offences. Messages, photos, and video calls confirmed he knew the victim’s age was under 16. He groomed her online before secretly arranging to meet in Norfolk.
McMurtrie was arrested at his home by Police Scotland in November 2020 after the victim disclosed the relationship at school. Evidence seized from his devices revealed more than 300 messages, including explicit content and photos.
A statement from the victim, read out in court, described the profound emotional, physical, and mental impact McMurtrie's actions had on her. “No matter what he has done to me, I will not let it ruin my life,” she said.
Detective Sergeant Tom Cole, who investigated the case, said: “McMurtrie knew what he was doing as a perpetrator of sexual offences against a child. He manipulated and groomed the victim and abused his position as an adult with a vulnerable child.
“I would like to thank the victim and her family for coming forward, as this does take a great deal of bravery. We hope this sentence goes some way to gaining some justice.”
People who have experienced or know of someone affected by sexual offences are urged to call Norfolk Police.