Cornwall paedophile caught in undercover police sting

Luke Cowling, 27, of Tavistock Road in Launceston, admitted seven sex abuse charges. Credit: Devon and Cornwall Police

A paedophile from Cornwall who was caught in an undercover police operation has been jailed.

Luke Cowling, 27, of Tavistock Road in Launceston, admitted seven sex abuse charges and was sentenced to nine years in prison following a hearing in Truro Crown Court on Friday 23 August.

Cowling was first investigated after Devon and Cornwall Police received information from the National Crime Agency in 2021 about a Category A indecent video of children being uploaded to the internet which was via an account linked to him.

The court heard Cowling was communicating online with another adult profile, and discussed meeting that person to rape the their seven-year-old daughter. This profile was being operated by an undercover police officer.

A search warrant was then provided to Devon and Cornwall Police and a number of his devices were seized.

Examination of the devices revealed that Cowling had been in communication with a convicted paedophile in Merseyside who has since been jailed, who he shared thousands of indecent images with.

Cowling was made subject of a 20 year sexual harm prevention order and was will be on the sex offenders’ register for life.

'A true meeting of wicked minds'

Sophie House, officer in the case, said: “We welcome today’s sentence and hope this conviction serves as a stark warning to those with an unlawfully blurred view of consent and the wider implications of child sexual abuse material.

"Cowling and the other individual’s relationship was a true meeting of wicked minds, in addition to Cowling’s entrenched sexual interest in child sexual abuse material.

“We will never stop investigating online offences in order to safeguard children and protect the public from those who would seek to hurt children.

“By possessing child sexual abuse material, even if you are not the one committing the abuse, you are nevertheless contributing to the sexual exploitation of a child somewhere in the world.

"For those tempted to engage in this type of behaviour, our message is simple: we are watching you, you will be caught, and you can expect a knock at the door from us.”