Alec Parkin 49

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A “dangerous” sex offender has been sentenced to a total of 14 years after arranging a meeting in Bedford so he could sexually abuse a child.

Alec Parkin, 49, a registered sex offender from Nottinghamshire, bragged he had been convicted of previous child sex offences and was being monitored by police – but that he was able to communicate via another device so he could cover his tracks.

Parkin arranged the meeting and was arrested by Bedfordshire Police officers in Bedford.

Devices were seized from his home address and the conversations he had participated in were uncovered.

Parkin, of Baptist Lane, Collingham, Newark, pleaded guilty to arranging and facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and yesterday (Tuesday) was handed a nine-year custodial sentence at Luton Crown Court, with a five-year extended licence, due to his dangerousness and the significant risk of harm he poses.

Emma Shipton, an investigation officer within Bedfordshire Police’s Internet Child Abuse Investigation team, said: “As the judge rightly said at sentencing, Parkin is a dangerous sex offender who would have carried out these heinous acts on an innocent child had he got the chance to.

“He was caught red-handed in the process of arranging a meeting and is now going to be spending a good chunk of time in prison.

“People such as Parkin should know that they will not get away with carrying out such an atrocious crime – we will find you and we will do all we can to lock you up and keep our communities safe from sex offenders.”