Richard Stevenson, then aged 39, of Waveley Road, Coventry, West Midlands, was handed an extended determinate sentence of ten years at Warwick Crown Court after admitting to attempting to arrange the sexual abuse of young children online.
The prosecution arose from an intelligence-led covert operation conducted by West Midlands Police’s Major Crime Unit (MCU) targeting predatory individuals attempting to exploit children via online platforms.
The court heard that Stevenson joined an online discussion forum where he engaged in detailed conversations setting out fantasies of sexually abusing very young children.
Stevenson revealed that he was actively seeking a partner to collaborate with him in carrying out the physical abuse, sending video files depicting explicit child sexual abuse to encourage the recipient to participate.
However, the user with whom Stevenson was corresponding was an undercover police officer.
Following investigations into the origin of the communications, officers located Stevenson on 2 May and arrested him while he was seated inside a van in Coventry.
When brought before the court, Stevenson entered guilty pleas to:
- Attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence
- Making indecent images of children
- Distributing indecent images of children
Detective Constable John Marsh, of the Major Crime Unit, described Stevenson’s actions as appalling, emphasizing that he was determined to secure access to a young child and noting that investigators had no doubt he would have carried out the abuse had law enforcement not intervened.
On Friday, 4 September, the presiding judge deemed Stevenson a dangerous offender, handing down a custodial sentence of eight years coupled with an extended licence period of two years, bringing the total sentence to ten years.
In addition to the custodial term, the court made Stevenson subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for a duration of 18 years to restrict his access to internet devices and prevent contact with children.
He was also ordered to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely for life.
Release Calculation: Under UK sentencing legislation governing extended determinate sentences for serious sexual offences, Stevenson is not entitled to automatic early release. He is required to serve at least two-thirds (64 months / five years and four months) of his eight-year custodial term in prison custody before becoming eligible to apply to the Parole Board for release on licence. If granted release, Stevenson will remain subject to strict licence conditions and probation supervision in the community until the full ten-year sentence period expires.
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