Southend: Paedophile jailed following work by specialist detectives

A man has been jailed after admitting possessing indecent images of children following work by some of our specialist detectives.

Lionel Bryan, 43, of Hastings Road, Southend, was jailed for four-and-a-half years at Basildon Crown Court on Wednesday 6 April, and given a further three-and-a-half years on licence.

At an earlier hearing, Bryan admitted possessing indecent images of children and attempting to breach a Sexual Harm Prevention Order on two occasions.

As a registered sex offender, Bryan was subjected to regular, proactive visits from our Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders team (MOSOVO).

The images, totalling more than 800, were discovered on Bryan’s mobile during one of these routine visits of his address on 12 July 2021.

Investigating officer, Acting Detective Sergeant Emma Chambers from MOSOVO, said:

“Any person who possesses indecent images should be prepared to be brought to justice for this terrible crime.

“It is not a victimless crime, there is always someone who has suffered at the hands of a perpetrator.

“Bryan was a registered sex offender when he committed these offences but the court has seen fit to punish him accordingly.”

Lionel Bryan remains on the Register of Sex Offenders and is subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

MOSOVO works to protect the public from some of the county’s most dangerous offenders.

This team of dedicated, specialist officers work to manage the risk serious sexual and violent offenders pose to the community.

This includes working with partner agencies to monitor and risk assess offenders prior to, and after, their release from prison to reduce the risk they pose to the public.

They carry out proactive checks to ensure the people they are managing are adhering to the terms of their release and use specialist equipment to identify any offences, including polygraphs.