Cody Tierney 21

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A man has been jailed after pleading guilty to numerous sexual offences against a teenage girl.

Cody Tierney, 21, of Dulverton Avenue, Swindon admitted three counts of sexual touching of a child, when the victim was aged between 13 and 15, and sexual activity with a 14-year-old child in July 2024.

In a hearing at Swindon Crown Court today (01/10), he was sentenced to two years and three months imprisonment.

He will also be on the Sex Offender’s Register for 10 years, and be subject to a 10 year sexual harm prevention order and an indefinite restraining order. 

From April 2023, Tierney – who was known to the victim – gradually escalated his grooming behaviour of the victim, who had just turned 13.

He began by sexually messaging the victim, after which he would tell her to delete the messages, before escalating to sexually touching the victim.

In one incident in May 2023, Tierney sexually assaulted the victim on a train, and in July 2024, Tierney coerced the victim to engage in sexual activity with him. He then ordered her not to tell anyone and they needed to keep their distance.

In September 2024, the offences were reported to police by the victim’s mother on behalf of her daughter.

Tierney was arrested and subsequently charged. He refused to provide a comment during interview and initially pleaded not guilty, before changing his plea in July this year.

Investigating officer DC Melanie Reeves of the Child Abuse Investigation Team said:

“This was a traumatic experience for the victim where she was sexually assaulted by someone she trusted.

“Tierney abused that trust in a horrible way with gradually escalating behaviour despite being in close proximity to her family.

“I would like to pay tribute to the victim for her bravery in getting to this point and I hope that today’s sentencing can start to bring some closure for her.”