A man who attempted to date a child for sex has been sentenced to more than six years in prison.
Matthew Swift, 37, of Marriotts Close, Felmersham, also dealt with messages of a sexual nature online with several children.
He was jailed following an inquiry by Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire police. Swift chatted with several young girls on various social media platforms.
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After his arrest, police searched Swift’s digital devices and found several indecent images of children, including dozens rated in the worst category, “A,” in terms of content.
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Swift pleaded guilty to 13 separate felonies ranging from attempting sexual communication with a child, attempting to encourage a child to engage in sexual activity, creating indecent images of children, arranging and facilitating the commission of a child sex offense and that Violating a Prevention of Sexual Harm order.
On Friday, January 14, Swift was sentenced to six years and a month in prison at Northampton Crown Court.
He has also been issued an updated Sexual Harm Prevention Order and is on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
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Investigating Officer Michela Zasada, who led the Bedfordshire Police investigation, said: “I’m glad Swift is now behind bars and off the streets and no longer a risk to children.
“Swift was determined to commit this crime, regardless of the significant impact it would have had on any of the victims, and he showed no remorse for his actions.
“He’s a dangerous man and the sheer volume of insults shows what a threat he is. We will never tolerate this type of danger in our community and I’m glad we were able to stop it.
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“Despite our significant efforts to contain predators like Swift, parents and carers should be aware of this risk, speak to young people about safety online and report any concerns to the police.”
Parents can visit the Parents Protect website, operated by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, to find many useful resources to help prevent child sexual abuse online. It also includes a list of organizations and resources focused on keeping children safe in the digital world.
The NSPCC Share Aware website also has advice and tips on how children can keep themselves safe online.
To report child sexual abuse concerns call police on 101 or visit bedfordshire.police.uk/report