Locations
Queripel Close, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2
Description
A former company boss has been jailed after grooming a child he met using social media apps.
David Smith, of Queripel Close, Tunbridge Wells, shared disgusting images and videos on Kik messenger while chatting to the child, who he believed was 12, for 45 minutes.
After being confronted, he told police: "Oh god this is the end my life"
The 57 year old - known as Kent Guy - was caught after he began chatting on #1 Chatavenue to "Jacob", who he believed was a 12 year old schoolboy, Maidstone Crown Court heard.
But prosecutor Martin Yale said it was an undercover police officer and Smith began a two-hour sex chat.
As a result, police raided Smith's home and after seizing a hidden iPad which revealed he had been talking to a real child.
The device was submitted for forensic analysis. Chat logs were located which illustrated Smith had been involved in explicit communications with other online profiles.
'Smiths use of abhorrent language on chat logs was accompanied with repeated demands for children to send him indecent images...'
A child was identified from the logs who was 12 years old. Smith had sent sexual images of himself to the child and also encouraged them to send indecent photos to him.
During a police interview, Smith presented a prepared statement stating he believed that he had been communicating with adults who were using fake profiles.
He was charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, engaging in sexual communication with a child and two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
After pleading guilty he was jailed for 28 months and ordered to sign the Sex Offender's Register for 10 years.
Judge Julian Smith told him his second victim was real person- a young child "exploring his sexuality".
He added: "He sent Smith five pictures of himself and a video. This wasn't a classic case of grooming and this was not face-to-face contact. But the encouragement he gave to the child was sophisticated and effective
"They talked about meeting up but it may well be it was just part of Smith's fantasy and he intended nothing of the sort. There was no subsequent meeting and the conversation took 45 minutes..but the impact on the child was real."
Nichola Cafferkey, defending, said Smith was suffering from low self-esteem and the chats were a form of "escapism" and he never intended to meet the children.
Detective constable Lee Sparks of the Paedophile Online Investigation Team said: "We will do everything in our power to proactively target people like Smith, who seek to commit sexual offences against children, and ensure they receive a prison sentence.
"In this case, the evidence was overwhelming. Smiths use of abhorrent language on chat logs was accompanied with repeated demands for children to send him indecent images.
"There was also extremely concerning evidence of tentative arrangements by Smith to meet a child to engage in sexual activity."