A paedophile who gave a 12-year-old girl a phone to send her messages of a sexual nature has been jailed for six years.

Phyllippe Baker is behind bars following sexual offences involving a young girl in Sturminster Newton.

Baker, 56, and of London, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court today.

He was previously found guilty of sexual communication with a child, meeting a child following sexual grooming and causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Baker was sentenced to six years in prison, with an extended licence period of a further three years.

The offences occurred between Saturday 1 August 2020 and Thursday 8 April 2021.

Dorset Police was made aware on Thursday 8 April 2021 of messages of a sexual nature on the phone of a girl aged 12 years old.

The victim was visited by police and it was established that a man had visited her a few days earlier. She was provided with a phone by the man.

The victim provided details of his car registration number, which identified that the vehicle was linked to Baker.

Baker was subsequently arrested and a notebook belonging to the defendant was seized, as well as digital devices. The notebook contained personal details of the victim.

Detective Constable Mandy Lawrence, of the Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT), said: “The victim in this case did not provide an account of what happened. However, through investigative work, we were able to identify Baker and bring him before the courts.

“Baker knowingly communicated with his victim in a sexual nature, despite her young age.

“Dorset Police takes sexual offending against children extremely seriously and we will do all we can to identify those responsible.”

If you have been a victim of rape or sexual assault, and you want to report directly to the police, please call 101 and ask to be put in contact with a specially-trained police officer. Always dial 999 in an emergency.

Alternatively, you can contact The Shores Sexual Assault Referral Centre on 0800 970 9954.