Paedophile Mark Stewart Jailed For Online Sexual Offences Against Children

A paedophile has been jailed for over a decade after being found guilty of a catalogue of online sexual offences against children. Mark Stewart, 32, from Warwick, used an online messaging platform to send messages of a sexual nature to a girl he believed was under the age of 13.

Warwickshire Police discovered that Stewart had also shared explicit images of himself, requested indecent images from various child profiles, and incited them to perform sexual acts during other online conversations.

His actions alerted the Online Investigations Team at the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) who contacted Warwickshire Police. Stewart was arrested in June 2023.

A search of his home revealed two mobile phones containing evidence of multiple conversations of a sexual nature over several years. Stewart pleaded guilty to eight counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child, three counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child, two counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act, three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, and one count of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting sexual communication with a child.

Appearing at Warwick Crown Court on Friday (August 2), Stewart was sentenced to ten years and three months in jail. He was also handed a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a lifetime Sex Offender Notification requirement.

Detective Sergeant Rachel Priestley of Warwickshire Police's Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team (OCSET), who led the investigation, said: “This case demonstrates our commitment to protecting children from online harm. Stewart’s sentencing of more than a decade for a catalogue of online sexual offences against children demonstrates the collaborative efforts of Warwickshire Police with partner law enforcement agencies, the CPS and safeguarding agencies to bring offenders to justice.

"Supporting victims is a crucial part of our work, and our team is committed to ensuring their safety. “I would like to pay tribute to the victims in this case for their incredible courage and strength. Their willingness to support the investigation was vital in achieving justice and is reflected in the sentence while their bravery helps protect other children from similar harm.”