Locations
Coquet Avenue, South Shields, South Tyneside, NE34
Description
A paedophile who targeted two children online has been jailed for more than a decade.
Northumbria Police’s POLIT department – a dedicated team working to protect vulnerable children – acted on intelligence and arrested Joshua MacFarlane in January 2024.
He was subsequently charged with a series of offences and in April 2025 at Newcastle Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual communications with a child, two counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act and six counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in a sexual act.
He also pleaded guilty to meeting another child following sexual grooming, causing a child to watch a sexual act, sexual activity with a child, paying for sexual services of a child, three counts of distributing indecent images of a child and one count of making indecent photographs of a child.
MacFarlane, 20, of Coquet Avenue, South Shields, was also sentenced for multiple breaches of an interim Sexual Risk Order.
He appeared before the same court on Wednesday where he was sentenced to 10 years and four months behind bars, with a further four years to be spent on licence.
MacFarlane will also remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.
Leading the investigation, Detective Constable Elizabeth Biggins, of Northumbria Police said:
"First and foremost, I’d like to praise the victims for their bravery.
MacFarlane is a dangerous predator who is now facing a long spell behind bars, and this outcome was only made possible by the incredibly bravery of his survivors.
We would like to take this opportunity to urge all victims of sexual abuse to come forward, no matter how much time has passed.
Our message to survivors is clear – we are here to support you and we will do everything we can to bring those responsible to justice."