In 2021, Stephen Hindley, a then 31-year-old repeat sex offender, was jailed after attempting to lure children using social media before being caught in an undercover police operation.
Stephen Hindley, formerly of Plymouth and lately of Trelowarren Street, Camborne, was sentenced at Plymouth Crown Court to five years and four months in prison, with an extended four-year licence period, after pleading guilty to nine offences. These included breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to look at a sexual image, arranging or facilitating a child sex offence, and five counts of making indecent images of children. The court heard that Hindley threw a £5 note with a Snapchat username attached to two children aged 10 and 12 in Plymouth.
After the children alerted their mother, and police were notified, an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl engaged with Hindley online. Hindley sent explicit media, requested indecent photographs, and arranged a physical meeting in Plymouth, where police officers arrested him. Digital searches of his computer uncovered over 500 prohibited images and videos, including Category A material depicting severe abuse. Hindley had previous convictions from 2014 and 2017 for indecent exposure and stalking targeting young girls. Judge William Mousley designated him a dangerous offender, ordering that he serve at least two-thirds of his sentence in custody.
In addition to his custodial sentence, Hindley was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
He was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to ensure strict ongoing digital monitoring and restrict future contact with children upon release.
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