Locations
New Street, Leominster, HR6
Description
A Birmingham paedophile dad has been jailed for seven and a half years for a sick string of online child sex offences. His catalogue of crimes included attempting to arrange the rape of a child under the age of 13.
Damien Lucas, 36, of New Street, Leominster was found with hundreds of horrific images and videos showing children being raped or tortured that he'd also shared. He was put behind bars for 92 months at Hereford Crown Court on Tuesday(May 23).
Lucas pleaded guilty to eight child sex offence charges dating between June 2021 and February this year. The unemployed dad-of-three had lived in Chelmsley Wood before moving to Leominster in 2021.
Detective Inspector Matt McNelis of West Mercia Police said: "Damien Lucas pleaded guilty to having hundreds of images including 199 Category A images.
"Each of these depicts the rape and or torture of a child, the possession and sharing of these images and videos re-victimises each child in perpetuity and we continue to work with partners, including Lucy Faithfull Foundation and Family Matters, to stamp out this vile trade in human misery.
“The strength of this seven year sentence sends a strident message to online child sex offenders across the country. The possession, making and distribution of indecent images of children and the grooming of children to provide opportunities to commit contact offences are abhorrent crimes that we are fighting hard to prevent every day."
Lucas pleaded guilty to these eight charges with Category A the most severe as "they involve penetrative sexual activity":
- Attempting to arrange or facilitate the rape of a child under 13 on October 26 last year
- Making indecent photos or pseudo-photos of a child on June 23 in 2021, relating to 114 Category A images
- Making indecent photos or pseudo-photos of a child on June 23 2021 relating to 58 Category B images
- Making indecent photos or pseudo-photos of a child on June 23 2021 relating to 270 Category C images
- Making indecent photos or pseudo-photos of a child on February 28 this year relating to 85 Category A images
- Making indecent photos or pseudo-photos of a child on February 28 this year relating to 101 Category B images
- Distributing an indecent photog or pseudo-photo of a child on October 26 last year relating to a Category B image
- Making indecent photos or pseudo-photos of a child on February 28 this year relating to 279 Category C images
The judge also ordered that Lucas he put under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and be on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.