Ross-On-Wye man sentenced to six years in prison for online child sexual offences

A man from Ross-on-Wye has been sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to a string of child sexual offences committed online.

Daniel Dean, aged 23, of Symonds Yat, was sentenced on Thursday 11 January at Hereford Crown Court.

He was sentenced to six years in prison, and will be on licence for four years when eventually released. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life, and has been given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Mr Dean was jailed after having admitted the following offences at an earlier hearing:
•    13 counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
•    Two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
•    Two counts of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
•    Six counts of making indecent photographs of a child.
•    One count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child.
•    One count of voyeurism.

He was initially arrested in April 2016 by Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police officers that are part of Operation Safenet, which targets suspected paedophiles operating online.

Mr Dean was then re-arrested in July 2016. This followed the discovery of evidence on his computer and devices, which showed he had been engaging with children on a number of internet platforms, and inciting them to commit serious sexual offences. A large collection of indecent images of children was also found.

Detective Inspector Gavin Kinrade said: "This has been a complex investigation involving multiple victims and a significant volume of digital media, which officers have painstaking had to view in order to identify and safeguard victims. I would like to thank the many victims who have bravely come forward and helped throughout the process. Their assistance has been an essential part of bringing this case before the courts.

"Daniel Dean used false personas on the internet to engage with children and incite them to commit offences for his own gratification. On numerous occasions he threatened to expose images and videos of the children if they refused to carry out his demands.

"Many of the victims will have been at home when offences were committed, and their parents no doubt believed they were safe. I'd like to take this opportunity to urge parents and guardians to make sure they have a full, frank discussion with their children about how to protect themselves online. There are some great resources out there to help - from the NSPCC, and from Childline, for example."