Oscar Devlin, 25, has been locked up for two years and seven months at Woolwich Crown Court after exploiting two underage girls.
Police trainee’s sick grooming spree revealed
Devlin, from Admiral Street, was training to be a police officer and volunteering for St John Ambulance when in late 2023 he started grooming a 14-year-old girl, according to London Now.
Prosecutor Hector MacLean-Watt described how the pair were caught kissing, cuddling, and holding hands. On one occasion, the girl was even found sitting on his lap. In another alarming incident, she was discovered partially clothed in his bedroom.
Continued abuse while on bail
Following a police probe, Devlin was arrested and booted from the Metropolitan Police. But in December 2024, while still on bail, he began messaging an 11-year-old girl on Snapchat using a fake name and pretending to be younger.
He pressured the child into sending more than 40 images of herself, including topless photos. He repeatedly urged her to travel to London to meet him, but thankfully, her mother discovered the messages and alertedthe police.
Victims’ heartbreaking impact statements
“Now that I’m older, I think ‘Why did I do that? Why did I go to his house?’ I feel stupid that I went there. I blamed myself but at the same time I know it was not my fault,” said the 14-year-old victim, who now struggles with trust issues.
“My heart dropped. I felt instant shock and horror that a grown adult had chosen to do this to my child,” said the mother of the younger girl. “Her innocence was damaged in ways that cannot be undone. Childhood should be a time of security and joy. This experience has taken that away from her.”
The 11-year-old added: “I feel like part of my childhood was taken away from me. I feel different now and I wish this had never happened to me.”
Judge slams Devlin’s ‘gross breach of trust’
Justice Martyn Levett condemned Devlin for “manipulating” and “grooming” the vulnerable girls. “Young people are not only the future, but they deserve the protection of the courts,” the judge said. “You have committed a gross breach of trust.”
Devlin was handed a 31-month prison sentence and slapped with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He’s been behind bars since June 2025, which counts towards his sentence.
A probation officer reported Devlin showed no real remorse, believing he was “more sorry that he had been caught” and likely to continue offending.
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