DAVID JACKSON FROM DROITWICH SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES AND ONLINE ABUSE

A 48-year-old man named David Jackson, who previously lived on Blackfriars Avenue in Droitwich, has been taken into custody following a detailed undercover police operation aimed at tackling online child exploitation. The operation involved officers posing as mothers offering their underage daughters for abuse, a tactic used to lure and identify individuals seeking to commit such crimes. Jackson believed he was communicating with the mothers of young girls through online chatrooms, but in reality, he was engaging with undercover officers from West Mercia and Warwickshire Police, working under the initiative known as 'Operation Safenet.'

During a court hearing at Worcester Crown Court, Jackson admitted to a series of nine serious sexual offences. The most grave of these was his attempt to incite a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, an incident that took place between May 8 and May 12 of the same year. In addition, he confessed to four counts of attempting to facilitate or arrange sexual offences, with these actions spanning from November 30 of the previous year through to March 31 of the current year. Specific dates mentioned include February 28 and a period between March 23 and June 9, highlighting the extent of his online activity.

Jackson also pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children, which were recorded between September 1 of the previous year and June 9. Furthermore, he admitted to distributing an indecent image of a child in December of the previous year. Notably, during the investigation, Jackson sent a category B indecent image to an undercover officer, further implicating his involvement in the distribution of illegal material. Despite these actions, Jackson never attended the scheduled meetings arranged by the police, and during interviews, he claimed that his interactions were 'mere fantasy,' attempting to downplay the severity of his conduct.

Prosecutor Harinderpal Dhami described the police operation, stating: 'Officers in the main claimed they were parents with young children and were abusing them, and were open to others abusing children.' An officer impersonated a mother with two daughters aged six and twelve years, who was willing to allow Jackson to abuse them. Jackson arranged to meet the 'mother' at a service station and even discussed booking a hotel where the abuse would take place but ultimately backed out, citing feelings that it 'felt wrong.' He also expressed an intention to meet an officer in Leicester, believing she was an underage girl, but again withdrew, feeling it was 'too good to be true.'

Jackson was arrested at his residence, where police seized a Samsung mobile phone containing multiple indecent images of children. The images included two in the most serious category A, six in category B, and eight in category C. Despite his criminal actions, Jackson was previously considered to have a clean record and was regarded as a person of good character.

In his defense, Jackson submitted a letter describing himself as a father of four children and employed as the head of international sales for a medical diagnostics company for the past 14 years. The letter explained that his addiction to chatrooms developed over five years as a means of escaping a failing marriage, which ended in November 2014. He also revealed that he was suffering from 'some form of depression' at the time, which he did not seek help for. Jackson expressed deep shame and embarrassment over his actions, acknowledging that they were 'abhorrent.' He also reflected on the significant personal losses he faced as a result of the case, including his freedom, employment, home, friends, family, and self-respect.

Judge Recorder Martin sentenced Jackson to four years in prison for his most serious offence—attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. The other charges, including attempting to facilitate a sexual offence and possession and distribution of indecent images, were sentenced concurrently, with durations ranging from two to eight months. Additionally, Jackson was issued with an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, which restricts his contact with children and limits his internet access. He was also placed on the sex offender register for life. Detective Inspector Gavin Kinrade emphasized the police force’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and urged the public to report any concerns related to online abuse or exploitation, providing contact details for Crimestoppers and relevant online resources.