Sex offender jailed after arranging to meet ‘14-year-old girl’ in Ashfield

Naveed Sultan arranged to meet the ‘girl’ – actually an adult posing as a teenager – at Sutton Lawn park in Sutton-in-Ashfield after sending her a number of sexually explicit messages. Sultan turned up at the location but the woman he had been speaking to never approached him and just watched from a distance.

Nottinghamshire Police launched an investigation after the information was passed to officers via the company which employed 38-year-old Sultan. Detectives were also made aware of sexually explicit voice messages, videos and screen shots which Sultan had sent the ‘girl’.

After a detailed investigation, officers discovered Sultan had also been communicating sexually with two other teenage girls and had attempted to work out where they lived. He sent messages to one of the girls, aged 13, threatening to rape her and also sent messages encouraging her to meet him.

Detectives were able to charge Sultan with a number of offences and he eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child and one of attempting to meet a child following grooming.

At Nottingham Crown Court, he was given a total custodial sentence of eight years, which will include five years in jail and a further three years on licence.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order that will limit his online activities once he is released from jail. Sultan, of Sophie Road, Nottingham, was also added to the sex offenders’ register for life.

Detective Constable Toby Marsh, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Sultan clearly believed he was in contact with a child when he sent a series of sexually explicit images and messages via social media. Worse still, he tried to meet up with that ‘child’.

“When we began to investigate his online activity we discovered Sultan had also been communicating with other young people, trying to ascertain where they were, encouraging them to meet him and sending them vile messages. I hope this case also serves as a warning to other people who think they can groom and exploit children in this way.”