Paedophile jailed after denying sexual interest in children and wanting to meet them for sex

A paedophile who denies trying to meet a seven-year-old child for sex has been jailed.

Richard Davies, 42, has been put on the Sex Offenders Register after being found guilty of having a sexual interest in children.

An investigation led West Midlands Police led found Davies sent explicit and graphic messages describing his sexual interest in children between September 2020 and January 2021. 

Davies had spent weeks chatting online to a person he believed was a fellow sex offender, and expressed an interest in meeting children he could have sex with.

One message involved meeting a seven-year-old girl, which included the possibly of meeting at a car park in Sutton Coldfield.

The 42-year-old had sent a series of indecent images of children ranging from category A (the most extreme type) to class B and C.

During his plea hearing and police interview, Davies denied having a sexual interest in children or that he had arranged to meet a child.

Davies was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison.

He has also been put on the Sex Offenders Register, is banned from working with children and subject to a sexual harm prevention order for life.

Detective Inspector Lisa Jackson, from West Midlands Police, 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."