Man who sent girls explicit images jailed

A paedophile who sent explicit photos and videos to young girls he had met online has been jailed thanks to work by our Police Online Investigation Team.

Officers arrested 31 year-old Carl Spencer at an address in Southend on 14 April 2018 after our Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT) had received information he had been sending sexual messages to a girl using a messaging app.

Through forensic analysis of his mobile phone officers found several conversations between Spencer and young girls, aged between 12 and 14.

On each occasion the conversation had become sexual in nature and in many cases he had sent explicit images and videos of himself to the girls.

Officers also found more than 200 indecent images and videos of children when they searched his phone and Dropbox account.

Spencer, of Havelock Road, Bromley, was arrested and charged at Basildon Crown Court on Thursday 13 February he pleaded guilty to 23 child sex offences including eight counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, nine counts of distributing indecent images of children, three counts of possessing indecent images of children, two counts of causing a child to watch or look at an image of sexual activity, and one count of attempting to cause or incident a girl to engage in sexual activity.

At the same court on Thursday 5 March he was jailed for a total of four years and eight months.

Investigating officer PC Lewis Gordon, from POLIT, said: “Carl Spencer is a prolific offender who repeatedly targeted young girls.

“When he established how young they were he deliberately ensure their conversations became sexual in nature and sent them explicit images of himself.

“He is a dangerous offender who, I have no doubt, would have continued to contact girls if he had not been arrested and convicted.”

POLIT works to protect children from the threat of online offending and targets offenders suspected of making, possessing, and distributing indecent images of children.

Detective Inspector Jo Collins, who manages POLIT, said: “This is another example of the fantastic work my team has done to keep people safe.

“The work my team does often takes place away from the public eye but is absolutely crucial to keeping children safe. Last year, we safeguarded more than 300 children.

“The online threat to children is growing and my team’s work has never been more important.

“It’s just another way we’re protecting Essex.”