A former soldier based in North Yorkshire has been sentenced to 24 years in prison after admitting dozens of child sexual abuse and exploitation offences committed across the UK.
Austen Tobias Fleming, 28, of Stirling Road, Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on October 21, 2025, after pleading guilty to 83 offences. He will also serve a further three years on licence, has been made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
The court heard that Fleming committed the offences between December 2020 and January 2023 while stationed at Dishforth Airfield near Thirsk. He was arrested in November 2022 after police received intelligence that he had attempted to extort sexual images from a child.
Investigators said Fleming created multiple fake social media profiles, often posing as a female, to groom children into sending indecent images and videos. He would then record these interactions and use them to coerce victims into providing further material, including making threats to share content with family members.
In some cases, Fleming offered small payments or vouchers to manipulate victims. The youngest child affected was aged 10, with others aged up to 17.
Children from across Scotland, Wales and England were targeted, including victims in London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Birmingham, Nottingham, Lancashire, West Yorkshire, Durham and North Yorkshire. Police said the impact on victims was severe, with several children left deeply distressed and requiring safeguarding support.
Fleming refused to answer questions during police interviews. His convictions include offences relating to sexual exploitation of children, making and distributing indecent images, inciting sexual activity and blackmail.
Detective Constable Tom Sutcliffe of North Yorkshire Police’s Online Child Abuse Team said the investigation required extensive cooperation between police forces and social services across the UK.
He praised the courage of the victims and said Fleming posed a serious and ongoing risk to children, adding that he will now be closely monitored by authorities for the rest of his life.
