A volunteer who took advantage of his role to sexually abuse two RAF cadets was warned on his 28th birthday that he faces a jail sentence.
Carterton man Gary Larner molested one of his victims – who was 15 at the time – and asked her for sexual images.
A second victim was groped, Oxford Crown Court heard.
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Both young women were due to come to the St Aldates crown court on Wednesday (April 5) so their cross-examination by Larner’s barrister could be video recorded ahead of a trial later this year.
But in the end neither victim had to make the trip to Oxford after the defendant’s lawyers informed the Crown Prosecution Service on Tuesday that guilty pleas would be offered to the majority of the allegations he faced.
Appearing in the dock on Wednesday morning dressed in a black suit, white shirt and black tie, Larner, of Robinson Close, Carterton, pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual activity with a child.
Although not charged with further offences, the court heard on Tuesday that detectives had uncovered text messages between Larner and a third cadet – unconnected to the two victims – in which they spoke in graphic, sexual terms.
The messages were summarised in open court as the prosecution had hoped to put the texts in front of the jury at Larner’s trial as evidence of the RAF man’s alleged bad character. The Crown’s application was refused by the judge.
Bailing the defendant for the preparation of probation and medical reports on Wednesday, Judge Maria Lamb said: “Certainly, custody is very much at the forefront of things.
“The fact I am granting an adjournment for the preparation of a pre-sentence report and other information has clearly to be understood that it’s a matter of providing the court with all the material which may assist in relation to sentence.”
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Alistair Grainger, defending, said of his client: “That message is well understood.” His client had just become a father, the court heard, and the two months before his sentencing in June would allow him to put his affairs in order.
Judge Lamb told the duty probation officer in court that the pre-sentence report should consider whether Larner was a ‘dangerous’ offender who posed a high risk of harm and, as a result, should be subject to an extended period being supervised by the probation service.
“I will grant bail. It is clearly to be understood it does not hold any indication whatsoever of what the eventual sentence is going to be here,” she added.
Larner will be sentenced on June 2.
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Following the hearing, an RAF spokesman said: “We are aware that a serviceperson appeared at Oxford Crown Court and pleaded guilty to the charges against them.
“The RAF is unable to comment on individual cases, nor offer comment while legal proceedings are ongoing.”
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