Former law student who inflicted a 'profound level of emotional trauma' on his victim sentenced to prison for lockdown grooming
A disgraced former law student who groomed underaged girls on Snapchat during the Covid-19 lockdown whilst he was still at university has been sentenced to six years and 10 months imprisonment.
Oliver Thomas Lupton Lane, 24, pleaded guilty to 11 charges including sexual activity with a child, arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, and several charges of making indecent photographs of children.
York Crown Court heard that police were alerted about Lane from Wistow, Selby, after a 14 year old child disclosed that she had engaged in conversation with a man on Snapchat.
She also told officers that they had met up and engaged in sexual activity.
Lane was sentenced to six years and 10 months for his crimes which took place been May and October 2021.
Detective Constable Oliver Dalby from York CID said: "The offences for which Lane has pleaded guilty are wholly reprehensible.
"He has inflicted such a profound level of emotional trauma upon one of his victims, that she is unsure whether she will ever fully recover."
The court heard that the vulnerable teenage girl took a teddy bear with her when she met him for sex.
Lane, who has 20-years-old at the time, referred to the girl he knew was underaged as a "sex slave who had no rights" in an online chat.
She was one of three girls aged between 14 and 16 the now 24-year-old persuaded to send more than 400 indecent selfies including performing sexual acts on themselves on a online profile called 'Sugar Daddy'.
This included 141 pictures rated category A - the worst type of indecent images of children.
Lane was arrested four times between December 2021 and October 2023 where he was eventually remanded to custody pending trial.
At the time Lane was in his third year of a law degree when he was identified as a suspect and had boasted to one of his victims that he was "already a lawyer".
Defence barrister Sarah Vine KC said the girl had "enthusiastically" engaged in the "fantasy sexual dialogue" with him.
Before they met for the sex session they discussed online what they would and would not do He even gave her a safe word to use when she wasn't comfortable with what they were doing.
Ms Vine said Lane suffered a "perfect storm" of loneliness and isolation during the Covid-19 lockdown as his then girlfriend was working elsewhere and Lane was left with his mental health medication.
She also said that Lane has autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder meaning he didn't perceive her vulnerabilities as another person would.
Detective Constable Oliver Dalby also said: "Throughout the investigation, Lane has shown no remorse.
"His decision to enter guilty pleas just before the start of his trial meant that one of his victims had already undergone a pre-recorded cross examination, in which she had to revisit the abuse that she had suffered.
"I would like to thank the victims in this case for their bravery, trust and patience, it would not have been possible to bring Lane to justice without their co-operation."
Lane was sentenced on March 14.