Paedophile caught by police posing as girls

A paedophile has been jailed after telling two undercover police officers posing as girls that he wanted to have sex with them.

Darren Stapleton, 56, used online messaging platforms to engage with his would-be victims.

After his arrest 126 indecent images of children and 463 images of bestiality were found on mobile phones, laptops, and hard drives at his home.

Stapleton of Great Staughton, Cambridgeshire, was sentenced to four years in prison with a further two on licence. He pleaded guilty to attempting to arrange a child sex offence and attempting to sexually communicate with a child.

The 56-year-old, from Beachampstead Road, in the village near St Neots, also pleaded guilty to possessing an extreme pornographic image and three counts of making indecent images of children.

Police said that Stapleton had spoken to the first undercover officer, who was posing as a child, on two online messaging platforms between October and December 2022.

Police said Stapleton told the officer that he wanted to touch and have sex with them and agreed a time and date to meet up.

He began an online conversation with the second officer between December 2022 and January 2023.

He sent an inappropriate photo of himself and said he wanted to touch her and have sex.

Appearing at Cambridge Crown Court last week, he was also given a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Det Sgt Julia Boon said: “Although Stapleton didn’t sexually abuse a child, he showed intent to, and the images found at his home also show he is a danger to children.

"A child is victimised when an indecent image is taken and every time it is viewed or shared.”

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