Paedophile who tried to arrange meeting seven-year-old for sex is locked up
A paedophile who tried to meet a seven-year-old child for sex has been jailed.
Richard Davies spent weeks chatting online to a person he believed was a fellow sex offender.
Despite pleading not guilty, he was convicted at Birmingham Crown Court on April 18 and sentenced to seven years and six months in prison.
He will also be on the Sex Offenders Register, banned from working with children and subject to a sexual harm prevention order for life.
Davies sent explicit and graphic messages describing his sexual interest in children between September 2020 and January 2021.
Communicating on various social media platforms, the 42-year-old tried to set up a meeting where he would have sex with a seven-year-old girl, which included the possibly of meeting at a car park in Sutton Coldfield.
As well as this, he sent a series of indecent images of children ranging from category A (the most extreme type) to class B and C.
In carrying out enquiries, police officers identified and arrested Davies in January 2021.
The investigation was carried out by West Midlands Police along with the assistance of the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit.
Davies answered no comment in interview, denying he had a sexual interest in children or that he had arranged to meet a child.
Det Insp Lisa Jackson, form our Priority and Vulnerabilities Team, said: "This was an excellent piece of work by all the officers involved, putting away a highly dangerous offender.
"The messages Davies sent were some of the most horrific we have encountered and included a number of appalling images of child abuse.
"Davies tried to claim he was not guilty throughout the case, but we were able to put together a strong case to secure a conviction."
