Thomas Smith, aged 30, of Bexleyheath, Greater London, has pleaded guilty to attempting to send sexual messages to a 12-year-old child and twice breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, having previously been jailed for attempting to meet a child.
Smith appeared at Bexley Magistrates’ Court on Thursday following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police.
Officers arrested Smith on Wednesday after he refused to provide the PIN to access his mobile phone. Following technical procedures to gain access to the device, investigators established that Smith had attempted to transmit sexually explicit messages to a 12-year-old child during the preceding month.
Under UK law, all victims of sexual offences are protected by lifelong statutory anonymity.
The court heard that Smith was subject to strict monitoring conditions following a previous custodial sentence. In March 2024, Smith was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment after an operation by an online decoy group. In that incident, Smith sent sexual messages to an account he believed belonged to a 13-year-old girl and travelled to Bexleyheath Station to carry out an in-person meeting, where he was confronted and recorded on a live stream before being handed over to police.
Appearing in the dock at Bexley Magistrates’ Court, Smith entered formal guilty pleas to three charges:
Attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child
Two counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO)
Due to the severity of the offences and his previous convictions, magistrates determined that their sentencing powers were insufficient.
Smith was remanded in custody and committed to Woolwich Crown Court, where he will appear for sentencing at a later date.
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