Watford man jailed for exploiting and paying girls, 13, for sexual contact

A Watford man has been sentenced to five years in prison after befriending 13-year-old girls via Snapchat and paying them for sexual contact. The court heard that Simon Ross, aged 59, initially met the girls through an online chatroom before continuing conversations on Snapchat, where he exploited them for his own sexual gratification. Between July 1 and August 17, 2022, Ross met the girls in person at various locations across Watford and at his home. During these meetings, he bought them vapes and alcohol and discussed arrangements to pay them for sexual favors. Ross faced charges on September 11, 2023, of seven counts of paying for sexual services of a child and two counts of causing sexual exploitation of a child, which he denied but was convicted of all offences. Additionally, Ross was found guilty of possessing an extreme pornographic image. The court handed him a five-year prison sentence on November 29, 2024, and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Detective Constable Jemma Warburton stated, 'Simon Ross exploited two young girls and preyed on their innocence. He was 56 at the time of the incidents and should have known better. This sort of crime will never be tolerated and we hope this sentence allows the victims to move on and rebuild their lives. I’m pleased Ross is now behind bars where he can no longer harm anyone else.' She emphasized that becoming a victim of sexual offences is never the victim’s fault and advised anyone with information or those affected to report it to the police. The Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Child Sexual Exploitation Team investigated the case, which targeted and disrupted individuals involved in child sexual exploitation and worked to safeguard at-risk youth. The police urged the public to report suspicions of child sexual exploitation by calling 101 or visiting their website for advice.