Predator thought he was exchanging messages with a girl aged under 16 was later found with more than 1,600 indecent images of children.

Online Predator Sentenced for Child Sex Offences

Daniel O'Connell, a 26-year-old resident of Withernsea, Hull, has been sentenced to a suspended prison sentence for attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child online and possessing indecent images of children.

O'Connell, who believed he was communicating with a 12-year-old girl on Snapchat, engaged in sexually explicit conversations with an undercover police officer posing as the child. The conversations ended when O'Connell was arrested, and a subsequent search of his phone revealed over 1,600 indecent images of children, including 466 in the most serious category.

Despite initially denying the charges, O'Connell later pleaded guilty to all offenses. He was sentenced to a 66-week suspended prison sentence, a 31-day sex offender treatment program, and 20 days of rehabilitation. He was also given a six-year sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

The court heard that O'Connell, a carer, had no prior convictions. The judge, considering O'Connell's late guilty pleas and the seriousness of the offenses, imposed a suspended sentence and other conditions to address his offending behavior.