Man who arranged to meet a child for sex is jailed

A man who arranged to meet a child for sex has been jailed – after he was caught by officers online.

David Horne, 57, has been handed a lengthy prison sentence after he arranged to meet a 14-year-old girl he had been speaking to online.

However, he was actually speaking to an officer from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) conducting an investigation alongside the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) with the support of Durham Constabulary.

Following his arrest on March 9, he was subsequently charged with a number of sexual offences including, attempt to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempt to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity, attempt to cause a child to engage in sexual activity, and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

On Wednesday, he appeared at Teesside Crown Court for sentencing having pleaded guilty to all charges on May 21.

Horne, of Ruby Street in Shildon, was sentenced to a total of nine years imprisonment.

Speaking after the sentencing, NEROCU Detective Constable Georgina Lewis, said: “This has been a complex investigation which has thankfully helped secured a great outcome at court.

“Horne is behind bars for a substantial amount of time where he will no longer be a danger to children.

“I want to thank our partners in ERSOU who supported us in this investigation – another strong display of the power of partnership working.

“Under Operational Sentinel, we will continue to work with our partners to tackle online child abuse and sexual exploitation and would urge anyone who has been a victim of this type of offending, or has concerns about someone’s behaviour, to come forward and talk to police.”

If you have concerns about child abuse or want to report a crime, then you can contact your local police force via their website or by calling 101. Always dial 999 in an emergency.