Swaledale man jailed for online child abuse offences

The Online Abuse and Exploitation Team have brought a Swaledale man to justice.

Peter John Reynolds (pictured), aged 48, from Downholme, Richmondshire, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment at Teesside Crown Court today - Monday 20 December 2021- after pleading guilty to all four offences last month.

 

 

These included two counts of an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, who he believed to be two young girls who he had met online.

One of these offences took place between 24 August and 18 October, and the other between 1 and 19 October 2021.

In each case, Reynolds sent a series of sexual images and engaged in sexualised chat.

What he had not realised was that he was communicating with the police throughout this time.

When the “girls” confirmed their ages as 12 and 13 to him during these chats, Reynolds continued with the sexualised conversation despite believing they were children.

An operation was carried out during the early hours of 20 October to arrest him. A search warrant was also executed at his home address where various devices and other potential evidence were seized as part of the investigation.

Reynolds was already on the Sex Offenders Register due to a previous conviction for inciting a girl aged between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity in November 2015.

He received a suspended sentence and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

This meant Reynolds was also charged with a breach of the SHPO for using a mobile phone that he was prohibited to use, as well as attempting to breach the SHPO in relation to communication with females aged under 16.

 

Detective Constable Tom Sutcliffe, of the Online Abuse and Exploitation Team, led the investigation which secured the recent conviction. He said:

 

“Reynolds continues to have a deeply disturbing sexual interest in children, to the extent that he was prepared to break the public protection measures that were put in place at the end of 2016 when he was sentenced for a similar offence.

“He knew only too well that if he was caught again he would go to prison, which is exactly how it has turned out.

“Reynolds, and other child sexual offenders like him, need to realise that the police are watching them like hawks.

“One wrong move and we will pounce before they themselves have a chance to prey on vulnerable young victims.”

 

Reporting and seeking help about online sexual abuse

• Please contact North Yorkshire Police on 101. If you are in immediate danger, always dial 999 for an emergency response

 

• Crimestoppers – 0800 55511 – crimestoppers-uk.org – anonymous reporting

 

• Child Exploitation Online Protection command (CEOP) - http://ceop.police.uk/

 

• Internet Watch Foundation - https://www.iwf.org.uk/

 

• Marie Collins Foundation - mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk – support for children and young people who have been abused via the internet and mobile technologies

 

• Stop it Now! – www.stopitnow.org.uk – Helpline 0808 1000 900 – confidential help and support for people who concerned about their or someone else’s thoughts and behaviour towards children

 

• Victims who would prefer not to go direct to the police and are not in immediate danger, can contact Bridge House, North Yorkshire’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), on 0330 223 0362, email [email protected] or go to www.bridgehousesarc.org/

 

• You can also contact Supporting Victims in North Yorkshire at www.supportingvictims.org or by calling 01609 643100

 

• NSPCC Helplines: Anyone concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline for advice on 0808 8005000; Adult victims of non-recent sexual abuse can also get in touch for support; Childline is available for young people on 0800 1111 or at www.childline.org.uk