A Hertfordshire child sex offender has had his sentence increased by the Court of Appeal following a referral by the then Solicitor General.
On 26 February 2021, Jaime Alejandro Garcia-Perez, 24, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, raping a child under the age of 13 and attempted rape.
On 27 July, Garcia-Perez was sentenced to 8 years and 6 months' imprisonment at St Albans Crown Court.
Following the sentence, the then Solicitor General referred Garcia-Perez's sentence to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme. On 8 October the Court of Appeal found his original sentence to be unduly lenient and increased it to 10 years and 6 months' imprisonment, followed by 1 year on licence.
Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General, Alex Chalk QC MP said:
Garcia-Perez's crimes were abhorrent and very upsetting. I am glad that the Court of Appeal agreed that the sentence was too low and increased his prison term. No sentence can make up for the enormity of his crimes, but I hope today's outcome will bring a measure of comfort to the victim and their family.
