RYAN JAMES

A convicted sex offender received a four-year prison sentence after admitting to illicit online conversations with a person he believed was a 12-year-old girl.

Ryan James, aged 44 from Richmond, initiated contact on social media platforms where he quickly moved the dialogue towards sexual content.

He sent explicit images of his genitals and asked for similar images from the girl, as outlined at York Crown Court.

Unaware to James, he was actually communicating with an undercover police officer pretending to be a child.

He faced charges for trying to sexualize a minor online, encouraging a child under 13 to view sexual material, inciting sexual activity, and sending indecent images for his own sexual gratification.

The offenses took place over about three weeks, from August 25 to September 12.

Prosecutor Kelly Clarke stated that James was caught during a police sting when an officer posed as a 12-year-old girl.

The contact began via a chat app in August, with the decoy revealing her true age early in the conversation.

James disclosed he was in his early 40s and suggested switching to Telegram, encrypted messaging for privacy.

Once transferred, their interactions became sexual, with James sending explicit images and videos and requesting images in return.

The messages included him instructing her on sexual acts and suggesting she explore her own body.

A week into the chats, James resumed contact, promising to send shower photos and again requesting explicit images.

He claimed that sharing such images was illegal and mentioned past blackmail attempts, also stating he had previously spoken to another minor.

He continued to send more explicit images and proposed meeting for sexual activities, shifting the conversation to Snapchat and back to Telegram, ignoring her warnings about the legality of sharing such images.

Police intervened on September 17, arresting him at his residence and seizing 16 devices, including an iPhone.

Forensic analysis uncovered additional chat threads and indicated he may have contacted other children online.

James, who lacked a fixed address after being remanded, had a prior conviction from 2006 for similar offenses, including making indecent images and encouraging underage sexual activity.

He served part of that sentence but was released in 2008.

His legal counsel, Neil Cutte, acknowledged that his client had relapsed into old behaviors, citing his underlying deviant sexual urges.

He noted James had generally led a law-abiding life and worked as a cleaner.

The judge, Simon Hickey, emphasized the serious threat James posed due to his entrenched attitudes toward young females.

Despite previous convictions and rehabilitation efforts, James presented a significant risk.

He was sentenced to four years and, as a dangerous offender, will spend an extended period on license after release.

James is required to register as a sex offender for life and is subject to an indefinite sexual-harm prevention order to safeguard children.