Conspiring with others to commit online child sex offences.

Plymouth Man Jailed for Internet-Based Child Sex Offences and Sexual Assault

A Plymouth man has been jailed for internet-based child sex offences and the sexual assault of a young girl.

Stephen Humphries, 58, from Pendeen Close in Plymouth, was sentenced to an eight-year custodial term with a further two years to be served on extended licence at Plymouth Crown Court on Thursday, 21 March. He had pleaded guilty to attempting to arrange/facilitate the commission of a child sex offence, making indecent photographs of children, distributing indecent photographs of children, taking indecent photographs, sexual assault of a child, and possession of extreme pornography.

He was also made subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard how Humphries had been engaging with someone online since 4 October 2023, who he believed would enable him to commit an online child sexual offence. However, what Humphries didn't know was that individual was actually an investigating officer. Humphries' home was raided at 12:10 pm on Saturday, 14 October, and inside the defendant was found with evidence open on his phone suggesting he was preparing to commit the act.

A large number of devices were seized from inside the property and later found to contain thousands of indecent images and videos of children spanning all three categories. There was also evidence that Humphries had shared some of the indecent images with others.

Humphries was also sentenced for sexually assaulting a girl aged under 16 in Plymouth.

Following the sentencing, the officer in the case, DC Sophie House, said: "This was a complex police investigation which incorporated work from both the Devon and Cornwall Police Paedophile Online Investigation Team and the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU). 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 the sexual abuse of children."

"This was a collaborative effort involving officers from the NEROCU, Devon and Cornwall Paedophile Online Investigation Team, the Force Support Group, and the Data Forensic Unit. I would also like to thank the victim in this case for her bravery and courage in coming forward. It's not an easy thing to disclose something very personal to you, particularly when it relates to sexual offences. I hope this investigation highlights that the police take sexual allegations seriously, you will be believed, and we will support you as much as we can."