A MAN who contacted a 12-year-old girl online for sexual purposes has been jailed.
Jamie Bennett, of Barnham, has pleaded guilty to offenses involving attempted sexual communication with a 12-year-old girl and encouragement to commit a sexual act on herself.
The 44-year-old unemployed was sentenced to three years and nine months in Lewes Crown Court.
The communication devices of his address were seized by officers from the Sussex Police Online Pedophile Investigation Team (POLIT) in December 2019.
The devices revealed evidence of systematic contact between Bennett and the child, initiated by Bennett over an online messaging platform.
The charge, authorized by the CPS, followed an investigation by intelligence-led POLIT in close collaboration with the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU).
Bennett will be a registered sex offender indefinitely and has received a Sexual Injury Prevention Order to last until further court order, severely restricting his access to digital communication devices and to young people.
Sussex POLIT investigator Kayleigh Bartup said the charge followed an intelligence investigation, as part of the police’s continued work to protect children from sexual exploitation.
“If you have been a victim of child sexual abuse or have information about anyone else who has been sexually abused, please contact us online or by calling 101,” she said. .
“We will always follow up on allegations of abuse, no matter when they occurred.
“Victims can confidently speak to experienced investigators and we can also help them access a range of other support services. ”
For more advice on child sexual exploitation and sources of support, check out the Sussex Police website.
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Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-09-03 13:44:30
