Paedophile jailed after travelling to North East from Wales to involve nine-year-old in sex ring
A paedophile who travelled to the North East from Wales because he believed he was meeting a girl for sex had plans to build a business around the exploitation of children, police have said.
In the summer of 2021, Shem Jones, 39, travelled to the North East from his home in Wales expecting to meet a nine-year-old girl whose mother he believed he was chatting to online.
He was in fact speaking to an undercover officer from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU).
The officer and Jones had exchanged countless messages discussing his intentions to involve them in a child sex ring. Jones also sent numerous indecent photos and short videos of other children.
Officers from NEROCU took part in a specialist operation to target Jones and bring him into custody.
On 12 June 2021, Jones made the seven-hour journey from his home to meet the child. Once he was identified at the agreed meeting point, officers arrested him.
After Jones was handcuffed, the investigation was taken over by Northumbria Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT).
Jones was charged with arranging the commission of a child sex offence and three counts of distributing indecent images of a child.
The team compiled a file to present at court and as part of their investigation Jones was found to be in possession of other indecent videos of a child he had made himself.
The child was identified and spoken to by specialist officers, revealing Jones had groomed her online before meeting her on a number of occasions.
Jones was subsequently indicted on a further seven offences of engaging in sexual activity with a child, meeting a child following sexual grooming and three offences of taking an indecent image of a child, along with a further three offences of making an indecent image of a child after the examination of his laptop uncovered a catalogue of over 400 images of child abuse and illegal imagery.
On October 5 2022, Jones, of Wind Street, Llandysul, Ceredigion, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court and pleaded guilty to all charges.
He was jailed for 12 years after appearing at the same court on December 21. He will also be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order for his actions.
Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Jane Marley from POLIT said: "This is another fantastic result which reinforces our commitment to protecting all children from predators like Jones.
"Jones had vile plans to build a business around the sexual exploitation of a child and was actively engaged in the sexual abuse of children he had groomed online.
"Thankfully he is now safely behind bars. I would like to commend the bravery of the victim in disclosing the abuse Jones had subjected her to."
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