Extended sentence for Northampton man who admitted online child sex offences
It follows an investigation
A man who admitted trying to have sexual conversations with children online has been given an extended sentence of more than eight years.
Stephen Poulter, aged 43, was using a chat site to have sexualised conversations with profiles he believed belonged to two 14-year-old girls.
In reality he was talking with a member of an online child abuse activist group, who went on to report him to Northamptonshire Police on February 18 this year.
Officers immediately attended and arrested Poulter, previously of Lindsay Avenue, Northampton, who was already under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) imposed in 2021 following a previous conviction.
An investigation by the Force’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Unit (OCAIU) revealed how despite being told each ‘child’ was just 14, Poulter had sent them indecent images and videos of himself.
He went on to be charged with two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and one of attempting to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity.
Poulter had refused to give the police access to his mobile phone despite this being a requirement of his previous sentence, resulting in him also being charged with breach of the SHPO.
He was also charged with possession of the Class B drug cannabis, which was found in his home on his arrest.
Having entered guilty pleas to all charges at Northampton Crown Court in March, on July 10 he was sentenced.
Poulter was given an extended sentence – used for criminals convicted of specific offences who are deemed to be dangerous – made up of 40 months’ imprisonment and a five-year extension period on licence.
He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228, with orders made for the forfeiture and destruction of his electronic devices and the seized cannabis.
Speaking afterwards, investigating officer PC Charlotte Carden of OCAIU said:
“I’m pleased with the result in this case, which reflects the risks posed by Stephen Poulter who is a persistent sexual offender.
“As a department, we work tirelessly to bring sex offenders to justice, an important role we are all passionate about.
“The internet can be such a dangerous place, and we will continue to do all we can to protect children from those who would seek to do them harm online.”