Robert Wills 47

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A 46-year-old Cirencester man has been jailed for three years after he admitted numerous charges of possessing indecent images of children and attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child.

Robert Wills of West Market Place, who pleaded guilty to all ten charges, was caught in a police 'sting' operation to catch online paedophiles. 

Prosecutor Jack Barry told Gloucester Crown Court on Tuesday, May 2, that one officer posed as 'Izzy,' a 12-year-old girl in the Autumn of 2021.

“Wills, a convicted sex offender, was tempted and instigated an online conversation with Izzy and told her his name was Darren," said the prosecutor.

“Wills claimed that he had dated girls of her age many times before and added, ‘I’ve dated girls where we met up. I’ve also dated mums and had a relationship with their daughters at the same time. 

"He stated on one occasion that he was masturbating while watching child pornography featuring girls of her age and told her, ‘I wish I was with you doing these things’.

The court was told that the police made enquiries using the phone number he had used and his usernames on social media, during the conversation with the undercover officer. 

Police then attended Wills' home address, at which he was listed on the sex offenders’ register, on April 5 where he was arrested. 

His devices were seized and these contained 496 indecent images of a child in category A, the most serious, 406 images in category B and 410 images in category C. 

The court was told that Wills had been placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years following his conviction for possessing indecent images of children in March 2013. He had been sentenced at that time to a prison term of 24 months. 

In his police interview Wills claimed he knew all along that 'Izzy' was not who she said she was and was trying to catch her out.  He stated he resorted to this type of activity when he was 'in a dark place.'

Steven Young defending, said: “Wills still maintains he doesn’t have a sexual interest in contacting children in this way. 

“He says that he did not believe he was communicating with a child, but an adult, and was trying to catch them out.”

Wills pleaded guilty to all ten charges including three counts of possessing indecent images in categories A, B and C. 

As well as, one count of possessing 51 prohibited images of a child and one charge of extreme pornography with an animal and two charges of distributing indecent images of children, attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child. 

Wills also admitted failing to comply with the terms of being on the sex offenders’ register and possessing 17 grams of a class B drug, namely amphetamine.

Judge Rupert Lowe sentenced Wills to a three year prison term and ordered the destruction of all the digital devices containing the offending images and the drugs.

The judge subjected Wills to the terms of a sexual harm prevention order for life and indefinite sex offender registration.