2010: MAN JAILED AFTER 'GROOMING' ACLE GIRL
A 54-year-old man has been jailed for three years after he admitted 'grooming' an Acle teenager over the internet.Keith Reynolds, of Pelham Court, Horsham, West Sussex, was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on Tuesday, after pleading guilty to inciting a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity.
The charge related to an incident which began in May 2009 when Reynolds made contact with two teenage girls from Acle over the internet.
Posing as a 17-year-old boy, Reynolds contacted the girls in an internet chat room, where he obtained the mobile phone number of one of the girls.
Reynolds started sending sexually explicit texts and invited the girl to stay with him—despite her making it clear she was under 16.
The police were alerted after her mother found the messages.
Reynolds was arrested in September 2009 and pleaded guilty to inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity.
He was disqualified from working with children and placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
The investigation highlighted the importance of internet safety, with officers advising parents and children to be cautious about sharing personal information online and to report any concerns to police.