Daniel Thomas 33

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A man has been jailed after breaching his sexual harm prevention order by sexually communicating with what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.

Daniel Thomas, 33, of Westbury, was caught following a Wiltshire Police investigation supported by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU).

Between May 4 and June 27 this year, Thomas – a Registered Sex Offender – was communicating through a social media platform with a teenager, who was actually a specially trained officer.

Thomas turned the conversation sexual and he was subsequently arrested on June 28 on suspicion of engaging in sexual communications with a child, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and causing a child to watch a sexual act, and for breaching his sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

He was subsequently charged and remanded into custody.

On Wednesday at Salisbury Crown Court, he was sentenced to four years and four months in prison, plus three years on extended licence.

PC Whittaker of the Management of Sexual or Violent Offenders (MOSOVO) unit said: “Thomas is a repeat offender who has persistently targeted children and attempted to engage them in sexual activity.

“Through actively managing his SHPO, we were able to monitor his behaviour and implement a decoy which allowed us to successfully bring this prosecution and protect children from him.”

Detective Inspector David Wells from the Online Investigations Team at SWROCU said: “The repeated attempts by Daniel Thomas to engage young children in sexual activity online show the high level of risk he posed, and the sentence handed down this week reflects that.

“This is challenging but vital work. Law enforcement agencies are across the internet determined to ensure offenders like him don’t succeed in abusing and exploiting children.  It is crucial parents and children themselves take steps to protect against the threat.”