Search results for Colchester

Description

Daniel Mowle, 42, of Apprentice Drive, Colchester, Essex, has been jailed for 10 years after being convicted of 11 child sexual offences.

Mowle sexually abused a young girl over a two-year period, treating her as a “sexual object.” The offences involved an abuse of trust and included no fewer than 24 incidents of sexual touching. The prosecution stated the assaults were sustained rather than fleeting.

He was convicted by a jury at Chelmsford Crown Court of:

• two counts of sexual assault of a child
• seven counts of sexual activity with a child
• two counts of inciting sexual activity with a child

The investigation by Essex Police began in 2021 after a report of child sexual abuse. Mowle denied the charges and stood trial in September 2025; he was convicted on 18 September. He was sentenced on 23 October 2026 by Judge Mary Loram KC. He showed no reaction when the sentence was passed. He had no previous convictions.

In addition to the 10-year prison term, Mowle was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and will be subject to strict restrictions and rigorous supervision upon release.

Description

Two families have thanked Essex detectives for their investigative work - which ensured a dangerous child sexual abuser was jailed for his crimes.

Cosmin Cercel sexually assaulted and took indecent images of one child and used AI technology to make indecent images of a second victim.

The 30-year-old from Colchester was jailed for five years and four months when he appeared at Ipswich Crown Court for sentencing.

An investigation was launched in December 2025 after one young victim told their mum they had been assaulted by the defendant.

An initial interrogation of his phone revealed the full scale of his offending.

Due to the volume of content, an urgent specialist review of the defendant’s device was carried out and this intensive phone work identified a second victim and further offences.

Detectives were able to speak to the family of the second child, who were unaware of Cercel’s offending. They were supported by our officers as the scope of our investigation continued.

We discovered he had used AI technology to make images of the second child appear to look like they were not wearing clothes.

Cercel, of Winnock Road, was charged with:

• Attempted rape
• Four counts of Sexual Assault on a Child (Under 13)
• Causing or Inciting a Child to Engage in Sexual Activity
• Taking Indecent Images of a Child – Category A
• Taking Indecent Images of a Child – Category B
• Taking Indecent Images of a Child – Category C
• Making a Pseudo Photograph of a Child

He denied the count of attempted rape, but admitted the other nine offences when he appeared at the same court on 2 February 2026.

The count of attempted rape was left to lie on file.

families thank officers

On Tuesday 12 May he was jailed for five years and four months, placed on the sex offenders’ register and is subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order.

Following the case, the families of both children thanked the officers in the case for the efficiency and speed of the investigation.

Lead investigator Detective Constable Fiona Brodie said:

"This case involved a significant betrayal of trust by an individual who took advantage of young, vulnerable children.

"As the officer in the case, I am immensely proud of the swift, dedicated work of our team; by using advanced digital forensics, we were able to quickly uncover the full extent of Cercel’s actions and ensure he was held accountable for his crimes.

"Most importantly, I want to praise the incredible bravery and strength of the victims and their families.

"They have shown such dignity throughout this investigation, and I hope this sentence provides them with some sense of justice as they begin to move forward."

Description

A convicted sex offender who showed "no understanding" or "remorse" for his crimes will not return to prison.

Jonathan Turkentine, 68, of Mersea Road, Colchester, had been remanded since February. He met with probation on Friday morning before appearing at Ipswich Crown Court, where he admitted possessing an indecent image of a girl and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

The SHPO was imposed in 2022, when Turkentine was jailed for possessing 251,386 indecent images and videos of children. He breached it again last year by deleting photos and messages.

In July last year, during a routine visit, an officer found the image on his phone and noted 33 deleted items from his Safari history.

Despite pleading guilty, Turkentine told officers he was "totally bamboozled" as to how the offending occurred and "completely in the dark."

His defence barrister claimed Turkentine was remorseful, but Recorder Richard Leiper KC found the probation report "troubling" and remained unconvinced.

"You have shown no understanding of your offending, no remorse and you have sought to minimise your responsibility for it," Recorder Leiper told him.

Due to the deleted history, the judge said there was no way to confirm what Turkentine had accessed but surmised the image was linked to his online activities.

Recorder Leiper imposed a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

"I have, with great reluctance concluded there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation within the community," he said. "You should be extremely grateful for the submissions of your counsel."

Description

A dangerous offender who sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl has been handed an extended 21year sentence after our officers irrefutably linked him to the crime through DNA evidence.

Their work led a Crown Court judge to issue a formal commendation to the investigative team for bringing him to justice.

Judge Martyn Levett described how the case required:

“focused attention and hard work from people who work late at night and probably very early in the morning.”

He continued:

“Investigating a case such as this provides many challenges due to the constellation of different pieces of evidence.

“I appreciate that much of the work involves putting together a coherent case which is then presented to the jury. Sometimes that is not easy.

“I probably only see part of what goes on behind the scenes in the preparation of such cases.

“This is only possible with teamwork and backup. It’s often forgotten that these cases cannot function on their own, and the welfare of everyone has to be well looked after before, during and after the course of a trial.

“I would like to take the opportunity to thank all those concerned in this case, and if I may, single out DC Tamsin Lyons, DC Debbie Hewett, DC Owen Clements and DS Gavin Wiseman.
They should be commended for their hard work. A commendation is truly deserved.”

Judge Levett praised the detectives for presenting a coherent case in which “all the arrows pointed to one man”.

That man was 28yearold Dominic Boultwood.

Already a convicted sex offender, Boultwood lured his victim to a wooded area of Bourne Valley Nature Reserve, near Mersea Road, Colchester, on Thursday 9 May 2024.

After engaging her in a sexualised conversation and confirming her young age, he pulled her to the ground and sexually assaulted her.

On several occasions he warned the girl not to report him to police or tell anyone what had happened.

Distressed and crying, she asked to leave. Boultwood told her to remain at the scene for five minutes while he walked away.

She later felt able to leave and returned home, quickly confiding in a friend. We were alerted soon afterwards and launched an immediate investigation, putting specialist support in place for the girl and carrying out urgent enquiries.

Numerous pieces of evidence pointed to Boultwood, but crucially he was linked through DNA discovered on the victim’s clothing.

Arrested

We arrested him on Wednesday 15 May and searched his home, where a quantity of cannabis was seized.

In interview, Boultwood claimed he had been fishing in the nature reserve on the day of the offence. He denied seeing or speaking to any child, acknowledging that doing so would breach court orders.

Boultwood had previously been convicted in 2015 of a separate sexual assault and received a sevenyear sentence, comprising four years in custody and three years on licence. He was subject to notification requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which allowed monitoring software to be installed on his mobile phone.

During his first interview, Boultwood said that if he had committed the offence as alleged, he would admit it. After being presented with forensic evidence, he provided a prepared statement in a second interview, claiming his DNA could have been on the girl’s clothing because he regularly slept and urinated in the area.

He was charged with sexual assault and assault by penetration and was remanded in custody.

Jailed

Boultwood stood trial at Ipswich Crown Court in March last year, also facing a charge of making indecent images of children following a previous examination of his mobile phone. Officers had found a number of sexualised images of children aged between three and 13.

Due to the overwhelming evidence gathered against him, a jury convicted him of all three offences.

Appearing at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday 25 February, he was deemed a dangerous offender requiring an extended sentence to protect the public. This comprised 13 years’ imprisonment and an additional eight years on extended licence.

He will remain subject to indefinite notification requirements and a renewed Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which will help deter and detect any future offending. A lifelong restraining order was also imposed to protect the victim.

Judge Levett said Boultwood had:

“manipulated a very young girl to fulfil his sexual desire” and added that places such as nature reserves should be spaces where children feel safe to walk without any sense of danger.

'The sooner you speak out the better'

The mother of the victim, who must remain anonymous, said:

“Officers were amazing. I know these things are scary but the sooner you speak out the quicker police can get the person and hopefully, in time, give closure.

“It may take a while, but patience is important. These things may not affect you instantly, but they will long term.

“Everyone needs to speak out and everyone needs to feel safe so maybe we do need to see more of a presence in quiet, enclosed areas.”

A dangerous sexual predator

Detective Inspector James Holmes, of our Serious Crime Directorate, said:

“Boultwood is a dangerous sexual predator who poses a very real risk to young girls.

“Despite his previous imprisonment for sexual offending and the strict conditions imposed upon him as a registered sex offender, he chose to completely disregard those matters – showing utter contempt for his victim and the law.

“We firmly believe he was fully aware of his despicable actions in preying on a lone 13yearold schoolgirl and knew we were looking for him in the days after the offence.

“He has never shown the slightest remorse.

“Thanks to the evidence we gathered, a jury saw through his lies and convicted him over his horrific actions. He is now back where he belongs – in prison.

“I want to pay tribute to the victim, who has shown patience and bravery throughout this investigation. I hope that, with the support of her family and those around her, she is able to move forward.

“If you are a victim of a sexual offence in Essex, you will be listened to and your voice will be heard.

“We have teams of specialist officers dedicated to investigating sexual offences against children. Even if you do not feel ready to speak to police, you can contact an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor, who will listen and help you access the support you need.”

Description

A man has been jailed for six years and will be monitored by police for life after admitting to sexual activity with a child he groomed on social media.

Lewis Plane had initially denied the offences but changed his plea at the start of his trial at Ipswich Crown Court in December last year.

Following detailed work by Essex Police’s Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) team Plane, of Prince Philip Road, Colchester, was arrested and interviewed. He refused to answer any questions.

Used fake profile

The 33-year-old had messaged the victim on Snapchat in October 2023. Using a fake profile, he asked her to add him as a friend and told her he was 17 years old.

Knowing how old she was, Plane then sent the girl multiple inappropriate and sexualised messages, including videos of him performing indecent acts.

He then told the victim his profile kept being shut down, they exchanged numbers and started communicating via WhatsApp.

And within a few weeks of the initial online contact, they had arranged to meet in Clacton. They would later meet in Colchester.

These meetings happened regularly, with the victim believing she was in a relationship with the defendant.

This continued until the victim stop seeing the defendant in the Spring of 2025.

Subject to Sexual Harm Prevention Order

Through a separate investigation officers became aware of the victim and spoke to her. Following sensitive enquiries, she was able to confirm what had happened to her.

With the weight of evidence against him, Plane admitted three counts of sexual activity with a child, meeting a child following sexual grooming, sexual communication with a child and controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship.

At Ipswich Crown Court on Friday 6 February Plane was jailed for six years, will be subject to a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was given an indefinite restraining order.

"supported me throughout"

Following the sentence, the victim said:

I would like to thank PC Eleanor Rutherford and Detective Constable Emmie Yeo who worked on my case and my independent sexual violence advisor Kate Allen who have all supported me through everything, I don’t know how I would’ve handled this case without them they are angels.

"child protection is utmost priority"

PC Eleanor Rutherford said:

I want to pay tribute to the victim for her resilience and strength throughout this investigation.

By sharing what happened to her, she has ensured that not only is this dangerous predator behind bars, but other children are protected.

Child protection is our utmost priority, and we will work relentlessly to keep them safe.

And when Plane is released, he will be monitored and have strict restrictions placed on him to protect children going forward.

Description

I will not let what happened to me define who I am. It is a part of my story, but not the end of it. I choose to keep fighting, to love more, and to rebuild the parts of myself that were broken.

A man has been sentenced to eight years in prison in his absence for sexually assaulting a woman in Colchester thanks to the work of detectives who tracked him down just hours after the incident.

Arjun Rajan, of Affleck Road in Colchester, was seen on city centre CCTV from about 12.30am on 24 July 2022 having driven there alone and parked in High Street, then walking to Head Street.

After 30 minutes, the 33-year-old saw the victim as she walked to get a taxi home. He continued to watch and follow her as she walked to the High Street before offering her a lift.

Believing he was a taxi driver the woman got into the car and Rajan drove away towards her home address, but he sexually assaulted her in the car before they arrived.

The woman told him to stop the car, and she walked the remaining journey home where she then disclosed what had happened and the police were alerted.

Our officers quickly identified Rajan and arrested him the same day.

He was later charged with sexual assault and first appeared at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on 14 July 2023, but subsequently left the country. A warrant for his arrest has been issued.

On Tuesday 7 October 2025 a jury found him guilty of the sexual assault in his absence and on December 4 he was sentenced to eight years in prison, as well as being added to the sex offenders’ register for life and being given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

'Fought through fear, shame and heartbreak'

In her victim personal statement shared in court, the woman in this case said:

After the assault, I shut myself away from the world. I was too afraid to leave my house, terrified that he might find me or approach me it.
I kept what happened a secret from most people in my life.

For over three years, this has weighed on me and my family.

But I can say this: I fought through fear, shame, and heartbreak not because I wanted to, but because I had to for my daughter, for my family, and for every survivor who feels voiceless.

I will not let what happened to me define who I am. It is a part of my story, but not the end of it. I choose to keep fighting, to love more, and to rebuild the parts of myself that were broken.

'Remarkable strength throughout'

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Jade Lawton said:

The woman in this case has continued to show remarkable strength as this case reached its conclusion.

She has supported our work consistently since this began more than three years ago, and I cannot thank her enough for that commitment.
Every interview, appointment and court hearing requires courage on her part and she has faced them all as well as delays to this trial, made longer after Rajan fled the country.

Despite the distress this caused she waited months longer to give evidence in court with dignity and help secure this conviction.

Rajan took advantage of a vulnerable woman alone after an evening in Colchester.

He had the opportunity at every stage of this offence to leave this woman alone or to go home and he never took this. He deceived her, assaulted her, and the judge was left with no choice but to impose a lengthy custodial sentence.

Our work with law enforcement partners internationally is ongoing and we remain committed to ensuring Rajan faces justice.

Description

A man has been jailed for three years following a collaborative investigation by Essex Police and officers in the East Midlands.

Neil Wilkin had denied attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence.

However following a three-day trial at Ipswich Crown Court in October, the jury found him guilty on both counts.

They heard that in 2022 the 55-year-old used an online chat room to discuss and plan committing child sexual offences with another user on the platform who he thought was the mother of a teenage girl.

What he didn’t know was that he was interacting with police officers from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit.

"pack of lies"

In November 2022 Essex Police officers arrested Wilkin at his home in Rose Allen Avenue, Colchester.

He was sitting with numerous electronic devices around him and these were all seized. During a forensic examination of his devices, which showed signs of evidence being deleted, conversation threads between Wilkin and the officer were recovered.

Wilkin didn’t answer questions during interview, but in a prepared statement he denied the allegations, claiming it was all “fantasy”.

On Friday 28 November Judge Kelly sentenced him to three years in prison and said Wilkin told a ‘pack of lies’ during his trial.

He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and is subject to 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Essex Police investigating officer Detective Sergeant Nicola Hadfield said:

Wilkin is a sexual predator who preyed on the vulnerability of someone who he believed was under-age.

His deviant behaviour was stopped by collaborative working by police here in Essex and in the Midlands.

We will be managing him as a sexual offender upon his release, and he will be closely monitored.

Safeguarding children and keeping them safe is our priority and we will relentlessly pursue offenders and bring them before the courts.

Description

A sex offender who served a year in prison for possessing a quarter-million indecent images has breached his sexual harm prevention order by deleting his WhatsApp history.

Jonathon Turkentine, 68, was jailed in 2022 but denied any sexual interest in children. His barrister told Ipswich Crown Court he viewed the images and movies for "artistic reasons" while researching the "perfect female form."

As part of his sentence, Turkentine received a ten-year sexual harm prevention order prohibiting him from deleting internet or message history.

Court papers show he breached it by deleting WhatsApp photos and enabling an auto-delete setting for messages.

Turkentine, of Mersea Road, Colchester, appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court last week and admitted one count of breaching the order.

Magistrates fined him £141, plus £110 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service and a £56 victim surcharge, totaling £307.

He must pay by December 3.

Description

“The woman in this case did something incredibly brave by speaking to the police – her actions have ultimately led to this sentence.”

Officers have praised the bravery of a woman reporting she was raped as her attacker was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Daniel Oldfield, 48, of no fixed abode, attacked his victim in her own home in April 2022.

On the night of 2 April, Oldfield had been sleeping elsewhere in the property but entered the woman’s bedroom and attacked her, injuring her hand and holding her by the neck before leaving the room.

Later the same evening he attacked the woman again, as she slept, raping and sexually assaulting her.

He was charged and remanded in custody from November 2022, and following a two-week trial, a jury at Ipswich Crown Court found Oldfield guilty of rape and sexual assault by penetration by majority verdict 11-1 in August 2024.

He has now been jailed for 14 years and given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order following a hearing at the same court on 30 October 2025.

Description

THREE prison officers had to tackle a defendant who started punching a pane of glass when he was told he was being jailed.

Lewis Buckley, 27, appeared before Colchester Magistrates’ Court after he admitted one charge each of theft and failing to comply with notification requirements for sex offenders.

The court heard Buckley failed to report to a police station after he was released from HMP Chelmsford earlier this year having served a 12-week prison term for exposure.

Stuart Cowen, prosecuting, said: “This is his fifth such offence which would aggravate the matter further."

Buckley, of no fixed abode, Colchester, also stole £150 of clothes from H&M in May and was arrested after he was reported by a member of the public.

The hearing had to be adjourned briefly for a cleaner to sanitise the dock after Buckley was seen spitting into an air vent.

Referring to a pre-sentence report prepared by the probation service, Hamza Adesanu said in mitigation: “There is the usual stuff – mental health concerns, school being patchy, use of drugs and use of alcohol, and homelessness.

“He was released from custody and was overwhelmed by freedom and didn’t report to the police station.

“He has been homeless for a number of years – he has done well to be convicted as lightly as he has.

“He has been on the streets from place to place – Clacton, Colchester – and still manages to report, in the main, to a police station.”

He added: “His convictions have created a vicious cycle where work is difficult to obtain, housing is difficult to obtain – it is difficult to describe his life as anything but chaotic.”

When the bench retired to consider their sentence, Buckley launched a verbal tirade at the press bench.

He said: “You should feel ashamed sitting there. You’re a cretin – your family would be ashamed of you.”

Magistrates jailed Buckley for eight months for failing to comply with notification requirements and one month consecutive for theft from a shop.

Buckley constantly shouted at the magistrates' bench while the chair Robert Cook explained how they had reached their sentence.

After refusing to go to the cells, three dock officers wrestled Buckley to the ground before the legal adviser cleared the court.

Description

In June 2023, one of our officers promised a victim of sexual abuse that he would secure justice for her before she died.

Now, we have been able to fulfil that promise, when a man was jailed after being found guilty of non-recent sexual offences.

James Gibbs appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday 22 May and was sentenced to four years in prison, after previously being found guilty of gross indecency offences.

An investigation by Essex Police’s Quest Team was launched in 2021, after a woman bravely reported that she had been sexually abused by Gibbs more than 40 years ago.

After facilitating early-stage interviews with the victim, Gibbs was arrested in February 2021 and later charged with two counts of gross indecency.

Gibbs pleaded not guilty to both offences.

The victim sadly passed away before the trial began but before she did, Detective Sergeant Ed Massey had seen her in a hospice and pledged to do his best to get justice for her.

DS Massey worked with the Crown Prosecution Service to push for the trial to go ahead, using a pre-recorded interview with the victim as evidence.

Following a trial, Gibbs, 73, of Meadow Way, Jaywick, was convicted in July 2024 of two counts of indecency.

He appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday 22 May and was sentenced to four years in prison, with two thirds to be served before he can be considered for release.

He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting his access to children for the next ten years and will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

During sentencing, the judge paid tribute to the victim and praised her bravery in coming forward to report the matters.

Description

A woman has bravely spoken out after she and another victim were assaulted by a child sex offender from East Bergholt, who has now been jailed for 12 years.

The two women spoke to Essex Police in 2022 to disclose the historic offences committed by 36-year-old Lloyd Prior.

Prior, of Broom Knoll in East Bergholt, was accused of multiple sexual offences against the two women, who were children at the time of the offences, between 2005 and 2013.

He pleaded not guilty and stood trial at Chelmsford Crown Court on 20 January 2025, and a jury found him guilty of 10 charges – three counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, three counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, and two counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration.

He was sentenced to 12 years in prison at the same court on Wednesday 23 April.

Description

A CONVICTED sex offender failed to comply with a court order because he didn’t want to miss a shift as a pizza delivery driver.

Dominic Middleton, 28, was previously jailed at Carlisle Crown Court in 2016 after he admitted one charge of sexual activity with a child.

Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard on Tuesday that Middleton, who has since moved to Essex, was subjected to notification requirements for life as part of that sentence.

It means he is required to inform police within three days if he changes any personal details such as his name or address, or opens a new bank account.

Entering the dock with a large Puma holdall, Middleton admitted one charge of failing to comply with notification requirements for sex offenders.

Lucy Osborn, mitigating, said Middleton, of Windmill Court, Colchester, was unable to get to the police station in time to register new personal details because he had to catch an early bus to get to work.

She said: “He accepted he was a day late and explained he was working as a motorcycle delivery driver for Domino's, working very long shifts from 11am to 11pm.

“He would take the S1 bus, a university route – but because it was the summer holidays, he could not get a bus until 9.20am which would get him to work in time for 11am.

“He asked his boss if he could start later but was refused this – his employer stated if he was late attending, it would be referred to HR and he would be dropped from a number of shifts.

“He felt he had no option but to go to work.”

Ms Osborn said: “He felt he was in an impossible position between not wanting to damage his employment prospects and not being entirely forthcoming about the reasons why he wanted time off work.”

District Judge Christopher Williams said breaches of a sexual harm prevention order or notification requirement are serious because “it means someone is at risk of sexual harm”.

Judge Williams imposed a six-week prison sentence, suspended for one year, and ordered Middleton to pay £299 in costs.

Description

Officers who monitor the risk posed by sex offenders secured a prison sentence for a man who repeatedly breached a court order and attempted to engage a child in sexually charged conversations.

In October last year, Alastair Dixon, 35, was found to have sent sexualised messages and images to an online decoy posing as a 14-year-old boy.

He committed this serious offence despite being the subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), imposed at Ipswich Crown Court in August 2023.

These orders place limits and monitoring conditions on offenders’ use of electronic devices and day-to-day activities.

Our Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders team (MOSOVO) are focused on ensuring these stringent court orders are adhered to and any breaches swiftly detected.

These officers work alongside the probation service to prevent and deter further offending.

The team was able to link Dixon to a number of offences.

In another breach, we received a report he was in possession of an unauthorised smart phone.

Subsequent investigation found he had installed deletion software on computers at his home.

It was further found Dixon attempted to pervert the cause of justice by creating an email address in an innocent man’s name, before sharing a link containing indecent images of children.

He was arrested, charged and admitted a range of offences including:

• Attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
• Attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.
• Seven breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
• Failing to comply with notification requirements.
• Perverting the course of justice.

Dixon, of Pilborough Way, Colchester, admitted each charge due to the evidence gathered against him and appeared for sentence at Ipswich Crown Court on Wednesday 22 January.

Judge Emma Peters said he committed “sophisticated, serious offences” and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment.

Dixon was made the subject of a lifelong SHPO and will be subject to notification requirements for the rest of his life.

In 2024, MOSOVO made 125 arrests, secured 286 charges and solved nearly 370 investigations.

Description

A PAEDOPHILE who sent explicit images of himself to what he thought was a 14-year-old girl has said he committed the offence because he was lonely.

Jack Goodacre, 28, had admitted possessing indecent images of children in March but proceeded to send sexual messages to an account only months later while he was on bail.

Goodacre had contacted a decoy account in July when he asked if he could chat to the young girl called Melissa, Ipswich Crown Court heard on Friday.

A WhatsApp conversation followed which involved Goodacre sending messages calling her “pretty” and “cute”, before asking her if he would be her first boyfriend.

Abby Robinson, prosecuting, said: “He requested a photo of the decoy’s legs and sent two images of himself.”

One image was of Goodacre naked.

The conversation continued and the defendant told the decoy he would book a hotel room for the two of them.

He then sent her a video of him performing a sex act and an image of a sex toy.

A record of the conversation was kept by a vigilante group which was behind the decoy account, and Goodacre was reported to police who arrested him.

The court heard Goodacre, of Victoria Chase, Colchester, was already on bail when he was messaging the decoy account after admitting three charges of possessing indecent images of children – some of whom were as young as six – in March.

In July he then admitted one charge each of attempting to engage a child in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity, and possession of category B images before being remanded in custody.

Mark Brown, mitigating, said: “He’s never been in any substantial trouble before. He was working in a full-time job and had his own flat.

“He puts his offending down to loneliness.

“He didn’t deal with going to custody very well and he broke down in the magistrates’ court.

“He has had the shock of his life going into custody.”

Sentencing Goodacre, Judge David Pugh said: “I don’t consider it appropriate to suspend this sentence, so the sentence is 16 months of immediate imprisonment.”

Goodacre was also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register and will be subject to notification requirements for ten years.