RICHARD CHAPMAN: BRITISH EX-PAT IN FRANCE SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN UK

In a disturbing case that highlights the dangers of online predation crossing international borders, Richard Chapman, a 52-year-old British expatriate residing in France, has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison for attempting to facilitate the sexual abuse of young children in the United Kingdom. The heinous nature of his crimes was uncovered after a police sting operation revealed his disturbing intentions and online activities.

Chapman, who was married and living in Molleges, a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of southern France, traveled hundreds of miles from his home in Provence to the UK with the explicit purpose of meeting what he believed to be twin girls aged eight. In reality, he was communicating with undercover police officers posing as the girls’ mother, under the alias Jen. His conversations with the officer exposed his depraved mindset and intentions, as he openly expressed his desire to sexually abuse the children.

During these exchanges, Chapman revealed that he considered the girls to be at the “perfect age” for his sick plans. He also made disturbing admissions about his own perversions, describing himself as a “terrible pervert” and confessing that children were “a forbidden thing but a massive turn-on” for him. Further, he lamented that his wife could not have children, which he claimed was “a shame” because it would have provided him with “more opportunities” to indulge his perverted interests.

The police arrested Chapman in July after he arranged to travel from France to London. He met the undercover officer, Jen, in a pub in Wimbledon, London, where he was taken into custody. The investigation revealed that Chapman had been involved in online chatroom conversations filled with disturbing content, which he had become involved in after moving to France and struggling to make friends. His barrister explained that his lack of interest in his wife’s company and his social isolation led him to seek solace in the virtual world, where he became desensitized to the reality of child abuse and traded in indecent images.

Authorities found that Chapman had distributed a significant number of child abuse images—totaling 1,855 still photographs and video clips—depicting abuse at all levels of severity. These images were sent to the undercover officer, further illustrating the extent of his depravity. The court heard that Chapman’s online activities included conversations about previous attempts to abuse children, with a preference for very young children between the ages of three and seven, as well as older children up to twelve. He also solicited images of the twin girls and discussed their sexual involvement with their mother, Jen, describing her as “great and very healthy.”

Chapman’s communications with the police began in June and continued until his arrest in July. Prosecutor Donna East detailed that he had a long-standing sexual interest in children, dating back to when he was around 20 years old. He revealed past attempts at abuse and expressed a desire to meet Jen in person so they could “flirt, giggle and find common ground.” His online chats also included claims of having French kissed a teenage girl, performed a sex act on an 11-year-old, and expressed a wish to go “a little further.”

Most shockingly, Chapman explicitly discussed his plans involving the twin girls, referring to them as “the perfect age” and indicating his intent to meet them for sexual acts. He also used the images he possessed as “currency” in online exchanges with others, building up to his plan to carry out the abuse in real life.

Following his arrest, Chapman attempted to deny much of what he had told the undercover officer, claiming that many of his statements were “fabricated.” However, police investigations uncovered a trove of illegal material on his computer back in France, including nearly two thousand images and videos depicting child abuse, covering all levels of severity. The court was told that his solitary life in France had led him into a virtual world where his behavior escalated beyond his control, culminating in these serious offenses.

Judge Philip St. John-Stevens sentenced Chapman to an extended prison term, emphasizing that he was considered dangerous in the legal sense. The judge ordered that Chapman serve two-thirds of his sentence before being eligible for parole. Upon release, he will serve the remainder of his sentence on license, along with an additional five and a half years on license. Furthermore, Chapman is required to register as a sex offender indefinitely and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions to protect the public from further harm.