MAN JAILED FOR SEXUALLY ABUSING YOUNG GIRLS ONLINE
A man from Congleton has been sentenced to prison after admitting to sexually abusing young girls online.James Lawton appeared before Chester Crown Court on 9 January, where he received a term of three years and four months in custody.
The 23-year-old, previously residing on Mill Street, Congleton, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including causing a child to view images of sexual activity, possessing indecent images of children, two counts of engaging in sexual communications with a minor, creating indecent images of children on three occasions, and possessing extreme pornography.
He also admitted to inciting a girl under the age of 13 to engage in sexual acts.
Alongside his prison sentence, Lawton was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was issued a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.
The police investigation began in January 2025 after Cheshire Police received intelligence indicating Lawton’s involvement in online sexual communications with a minor.
Officers from the Online Child Abuse Investigation Team executed a warrant at Lawton’s residence in Crewe, leading to his arrest and the seizure of electronic devices, which were subsequently analysed.
During the inquiry, investigators were informed by Sussex Police that Lawton had been requesting explicit images from a 12-year-old girl before his arrest.
Lawton had falsely claimed to be 15 and shared explicit images and videos of himself with her, encouraging her to do the same.
He had also sought indecent images from a 9-year-old girl in Nottingham.
Devices seized revealed 368 indecent images and videos of children, over 129 categorised as category A.
The offenses occurred between June and August 2024, leading to the charges against Lawton.
