A Warwick man who admitted multiple online sex offences has been jailed for more than a decade.

Between May and June 2023 Mark Stewart used an online messaging platform sending messages of a sexual nature, believing he was talking to the profile of a girl under the age of 13.

His actions alerted the Online Investigations Team at the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) who made a referral to Warwickshire Police.

At at the end of June 2023, Stewart was arrested at his home by officers from Warwickshire Police's Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team (OCSET).

A search was carried out and items seized by officers including two mobile phones with subsequent forensic analysis revealing Stewart had been involved in multiple conversations of a sexual nature over several years.

During these conversations, the 32-year-old was also found to have shared explicit images of himself, requested indecent images from various child profiles, and incited them to perform sexual acts.

Following a complex investigation by Warwickshire Police's dedicated OCSET team, a number of victims aged between 13 and 17 were identified across the country.

At a previous court appearance, Stewart, of Kempton Drive, had pleaded guilty to:

• Eight counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity
• Two counts of causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child
• Three counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child
• Two counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act
• Three counts of making indecent photographs of a child
• One count of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity
• Two counts of attempting sexual communication with a child

Appearing at Warwick Crown Court on Friday 2 August he was sentenced to ten years and three months in jail.

He was also handed a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a lifetime Sex Offender Notification requirement.

DI David Wells, of the SWROCU, said: "Stewart is a harmful sexual predator that has rightly been handed a significant jail sentence for his crimes.

"We are committed to supporting UK police forces in protecting children from harm - reducing risk in our communities and making sure dangerous individuals like Stewart are identified and brought to justice."

Lead investigator, Detective Sergeant Rachel Priestley of Warwickshire Police's OCSET added: "This case demonstrates our commitment to protecting children from online harm.

"Stewart's sentencing of more than a decade for a catalogue of online sexual offences against children demonstrates the collaborative efforts of Warwickshire Police with partner law enforcement agencies, the CPS and safeguarding agencies to bring offenders to justice.

"Supporting victims is a crucial part of our work, and our team is committed to ensuring their safety.

"I would like to pay tribute to the victims in this case for their incredible courage and strength. Their willingness to support the investigation was vital in achieving justice and is reflected in the sentence while their bravery helps protect other children from similar harm."

Anyone who is a victim of online abuse is encouraged to report it directly online or via 101.