Sunderland man sentenced for child sex offences

A Sunderland paedophile who arranged to meet a child for sex has been sentenced.

James Graham, 24, planned to meet a 14-year-old boy who he believed he had been chatting with online.

However, what he didn’t know, was that he had actually been speaking with a police officer from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) as part of a wider investigation.

Graham sent countless sexually explicit messages stating his intentions with the 14-year-old schoolboy and even offered the child drugs.

When communication began in October 2024, officers from NEROCU quickly launched a specialist operation to target Graham and bring him into custody.

On January 15 last year, officers arrested Graham and subsequently charged him with arrange/facilitate the commission of child sex offence and attempt to engage in sexual communication with a child. Graham later pleaded guilty to all charges.  

Today (Thursday), he appeared before Newcastle Crown Court and was sentenced to 10 months in prison suspended for 18 months, 10 years on the sex offender register and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order for his despicable actions.

NEROCU Detective Constable Lee Robertson, said: “Cases like this show why our work in this area is so vital and we will continue to do all we can to help protect children from predators like Graham.

“I’d like to thank all the officers and staff involved for helping to bring Graham before the courts and as always, I’d encourage anyone who has been a victim, or wants to talk to an officer and raise some concerns, to get in touch immediately.”

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.

Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.