Peter Pottle, from Taverham, Norfolk, had his suspended sentence overturned and jailed for four and a half years after the Solicitor General referred his case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
The court heard that Peter Pottle met the victim in 2016 shortly before her thirteenth birthday.
Conversations began online before Pottle would drive to meet the teenager close to her home. He encouraged her to share indecent images and he shared indecent images of himself, before increasing the level of abuse from kissing to sexual abuse.
In 2020, Pottle used an alias to send sexual messages to the victim and request images before threatening the victim to delete accounts and messages between the pair.
In a victim personal statement, the victim said she struggles with trusting people and relationships with friends and family have been impacted.
The Solicitor General Ellie Reeves MP said
Peter Pottle’s crimes were despicable. He calculatedly groomed a young teenager, starting with conversations online before moving onto more serious sexual abuse.
I referred his suspended sentence as I thought it was unduly lenient and I welcome the court’s decision to jail Peter Pottle. As Solicitor General, I will use all tools to punish dangerous predators and protect women and girls from harm.
On 30 September 2025 at Norwich Crown Court, Peter Pottle was sentenced to two years, suspended for two years, with a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement. He also received a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a 10-year Restraining Order, and £187 victim surcharge.
On 22 January 2026, the Court of Appeal overturned Peter Pottle’s suspended sentence and jailed him for four years and six months.
