Man jailed after trying to meet teenage Swindon girl

Police have called Nathan Graham's behaviour "abhorrent"

Author: Aaron HarperPublished 22nd Feb 2024
Last updated 22nd Feb 2024

A man's been jailed for child sex offences after trying to meet a 13-year-old girl from Swindon.

Nathan Graham, 29, of Matson Avenue, Gloucester, will serve three years and three months behind bars after sending graphic sexual images to the girl and attempting to meet what he thought to be a teenage girl.

It follows a joint investigation between Wiltshire Police and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit.

Graham pled guilty to four charges at Swindon Crown Court today (22/2), including:

• Attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child

• Attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity

• Arranging/facilitating the commission of penetrative sexual activity with a child

• Possession of bladed articles in a public place.

The offences happened on 5th and 6th December 2023, when Graham made contact with what he believed to be a teenage girl on a social media platform.

The communication, which featured images of Graham for the girl to see, was graphic and sexual.

He lied about his age, pretending to be 18, and sent maps marking out the bus stops and routes for the child as part of his planning and preparation.

Officers detained Graham on 7th December in Bloomsbury Park, Freshbrook, Swindon, as he was walking to meet the girl at a bus stop on Gainsborough Way, where he was arrested and subsequently charged for the offences, before being remanded into custody.

As well as being jailed today, he'll also be put on the sex offenders register indefinitely and the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 15 years.

'A man aware of his actions'

Det Con Sarah Greenman of the Child Internet Exploitation Team (CIET) said: “There can be no place for Graham’s abhorrent behaviour in Wiltshire, let alone society.

“Graham was fully aware that he was talking to a girl purported to be just 13, and yet he sent her incredibly graphic images and videos of himself, before attempting to meet her for his own sexual gratification.

“CIET exists within Wiltshire Police to safeguard children, and we will continue to work alongside the SWROCU, where we are totally committed to ensuring dangerous individuals such as Graham are identified and brought to justice in order to protect the public.”

DI David Wells from SWROCU’s Online Investigations Team, said: “Graham is a harmful sexual predator that has rightly today 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 ensuring dangerous individuals like Graham are identified and brought to justice.”

Advice for parents and carers, children and young people, and professionals to keeping safe online is available on the NSPCC website.

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