A man from north Essex who carried out a “predatory campaign of grooming and abuse of young girls” has admitted five sexual offences.

Archie Stulpa-McCallum, 20, of Great Bentley, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to five offences.

Stulpa-McCallum admitted two counts of an adult attempting to meet a girl under 16-years-old following grooming, one count of an under 18 engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 13, one count of cause/inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity without penetration, and one count of making an indecent photograph/pseudo photograph of a child.

Stulpa-McCallum was first arrested in June 2017 following an investigation undertaken by Suffolk police’s NST Cybercrime Team.

His crimes were committed against four separate victims – aged between 10 and 15-years-old – which took place between August 2015 and June 2017.

He has been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register and was granted bail pending a sentencing hearing to be held at Ipswich Crown Court on Monday, December 10.

An NSPCC spokesman for the east of England said: “Stulpa-McCallum carried out a predatory campaign of grooming and abuse of young girls for his own sick gratification.

“Sexual abuse can have a devastating impact on young lives and it’s vital that victims of abuse and exploitation know they will be supported when they speak out.

“It’s far too easy for offenders to groom children online which is why the NSPCC’s Wild West Web campaign is calling on the Government to force tech companies to do more to protect children on the internet.”