A 33-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to three years in prison for online grooming child offences.
Timothy Jones, from Swansea, appeared before Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, March 29 for sentencing, having previously pleaded guilty to sexually communicating with a child and meeting a child following sexual grooming.
The operation was led by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit for southern Wales, along with South Wales Police.
The court heard how Jones used social media platforms to engage with an online profile which he believed was of a 12-year-old girl; but was an undercover Tarian officer.
In conversations, the 33-year-old acknowledged that he was speaking to a child before describing numerous sexual acts, sending a picture of himself and arranged to meet the girl for sexual activity; confirming a time and location. Jones arranged to meet the young girl in April 2022, where he was arrested when he arrived.
A joint operation by Tarian and South Wales Police resulted in the arrest and prosecution of Jones.
Detective Inspector Mathew Davies, of Tarian, said: “This is excellent joint working between Tarian and South Wales Police. The focus of the operation was to target high harm offenders, whilst safeguarding and protecting children.
“At Tarian, we have specialist officers who work tirelessly to protect children online as well as target those perpetrators, such as Jones.
“It is our absolute priority to protect and keep children safe in our communities.
“If anyone has been a victim of child sexual abuse, I urge you to report it to your local police force via 101. We will always follow up allegations of abuse, no matter when they occurred. Victims can talk in confidence to experienced investigators and we can also help them get access to a range of other support services.
“If you have concerns about your use of the internet or inappropriate thoughts or behaviour about children or if you are worried about how someone you know behaves around children or are worried about their use of the internet then the Lucy Faithfull Foundation provides a free, anonymous and confidential Stop It Now! helpline on 0808 1000 900 for advice, support and information.”
