A man has been jailed after admitting to a total of 18 child sex offences.

John McArthur, 33, appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on September 6, where he was sentenced to five years in prison with a further three years and eight months on extended licence.

McCarthur, formerly of Shalford Road, Braintree, was arrested by Essex Police officers dedicated to protecting children online.

It followed an investigation by members of the Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT), who monitored suspicious activity on a chat room.

It was discovered that a user of the chat room began sexualised conversations with two girls he believed were 12 years old.

The user claimed to be a 22-year-old man from London but in reality, the account belonged to 33-year-old John McArthur.

After an examination of his devices, McArthur was charged with the following offences:

  • Ten counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child
  • One count of making indecent photographs of children
  • Two counts of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity
  • Five counts of attempting to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity

After admitting the offences and being sentenced, McArthur was also added to the Sex Offenders' Register for life and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

The orders in place ensure he will continue to be the subject of "stringent" checks by offender managers.

Detective Sergeant Samantha Lewin of POLIT said: “It’s clear that McArthur poses a very real threat to our communities and there is no doubt that children are safer with him behind bars.

“Our teams work around the clock to identify those who put your children’s safety at risk online, to disrupt their activities, and bring them to justice.

“If you think you can hide behind a fake profile online, think again.”