A 55-year-old man who paid thousands of dollars to watch children being exploited on the internet has been jailed for 16 years.

Sidney Morris, of Brompton Road in Weston-super-Mare, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to 15 counts, including:

- One count of attempting to cause/incite a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
- One count of attempting to cause/incite a girl aged 13-15 to engage in sexual activity.
- Seven counts of attempting to arrange/facilitate commission of child sex offence.
- Three counts of making indecent photos of a child.
- Three attempts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

The investigation was led by Avon and Somerset Police’s Internet Child Abuse Team (ICAT) in partnership with our #NEROCU officers and our colleagues at the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit.

In June 2022, officers discovered Morris had been messaging someone he believed to be a young child from the UK, engaging in inappropriate conversations of a sexual nature.

Morris was arrested from his home address in Weston-super-Mare in July of the same year and his devices were seized.

A detailed examination of the devices found Morris had 574 indecent images of children, comprising of 84 category A images (the most serious), 170 category B and 320 category C.

They appeared to show children as young as four being sexually exploited.
During the investigation, officers discovered that Morris had paid more than $14,000 to people abroad to exploit the children in the photos.

Under the banner of #OpSentinel we will continue to pursue dangerous offenders like Morris and protect children and communities.

📲 If you have been a victim of child sexual exploitation or abuse then please get in touch with your local police, there is support available and we’re here to help.