Nathan Graham, 29, of Matson Avenue, Gloucester, has been sent to prison after attempting to engage in sexual communications with a supposed 13-year-old girl.
Today, Swindon Crown Court sentenced Graham to three years and three months behind bars for his shocking actions.
Graham’s offences, which included attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity and possession of bladed articles in a public place, unfolded over two days last December.
Utilising social media, Graham lied about his age, pretending to be 18 and engaged in graphic and explicit communication with what he believed to be an underage girl. Disturbingly, he went as far as sending explicit images of himself and providing detailed maps of bus stops and routes to facilitate the meeting.
Thankfully, police intervened before any harm could be inflicted. Graham was arrested on December 7th in Bloomsbury Park, Freshbrook, just as he was en route to the planned meeting point at a bus stop on Gainsborough Way.
Following his arrest, Graham was charged and remanded into custody pending trial and today’s sentencing saw him sent to prison and will place him on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 15 years.
Det Con Sarah Greenman of the Child Internet Exploitation Team (CIET) said: “There can be no place for Graham’s abhorrent behaviour in Wiltshire, let alone society.
“Graham was fully aware that he was talking to a girl purported to be just 13, and yet he sent her incredibly graphic images and videos of himself, before attempting to meet her for his own sexual gratification.
“CIET exists within Wiltshire Police to safeguard children, and we will continue to work alongside the SWROCU, where we are totally committed to ensuring dangerous individuals such as Graham are identified and brought to justice in order to protect the public.”
DI David Wells from SWROCU’s Online Investigations Team, said: “Graham is a harmful sexual predator that has rightly today been handed a significant jail sentence for his crimes.
“We are committed to supporting UK police forces in protecting children from harm, reducing risk in our communities, and ensuring dangerous individuals like Graham are identified and brought to justice.”
The NSPCC website has clear and extensive advice for parents and carers, children and young people, and professionals to keep safe online.
If you have concerns about your own use of the internet or inappropriate thoughts or behaviour about children, or you are worried about how someone you know behaves, then contact the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.
