Jail for Nottinghamshire man who swapped explicit images with boy

Stewart Mee, 55, of Festival Avenue, Harworth, used a social media account to make contact with the boy on July 4, 2020.

Despite being made aware of the boy’s true age he continued to make sexually explicit suggestions.

Police were made aware of the messages in November of the same year and arrested Mee on suspicion of a range of offences.

Forensic examination of his phone and laptop revealed several hundreds more images of child sexual abuse.

Some of the images were graded as category A – depicting the most serious offences that can be committed against children.

When he was interviewed by specialist officers, Mee admitted to sending the messages but claimed to be unsure of the boy’s age.

He later pleaded guilty to inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual communication with a child, and three counts of making indecent images of a child.

Mee also admitted to possessing a prohibited image of a child and possessing extreme pornography.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on October 11, he was jailed for two years and ten months.

He was also added to the sex offenders’ register and made the subject of a sexual harm reduction order which will tightly restrict his behaviour when he is released.

Sergeant John Whitworth, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “I hope this case serves as a warning to others who think they can use the internet to exploit and abuse children.

"We will find you, we will expose you and we will see you put behind bars.”