A 63-year-old man from Congleton has been sentenced to four years in prison after admitting more than 30 child sex offences, including attempting to sexually communicate with minors and distributing indecent images.
Mark Gould, of Park Road, was caught following a police search of his home last June, where officers seized mobile phones containing incriminating evidence.
Multiple Offences Uncovered
Gould pleaded guilty to 17 counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, 10 counts of attempting to incite children aged 13 to 15 into sexual activity, along with four counts of distributing indecent images and three counts of making indecent images.
Police Evidence Seized
During the investigation, officers confiscated two mobile phones that held numerous illegal files. A total of 22 explicit child images and several files with extreme pornography were recovered, highlighting the scale of Gould’s offences.
Ongoing Monitoring Enforced
Besides the prison sentence, Gould has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. This order will ensure continuous specialist officer monitoring to prevent any reoffending and protect children from future harm.
Police Statement
“Mark Gould believed that hiding behind a mobile phone screen meant he could fly under the radar and that his crimes would go undetected. He was very much mistaken,” said Detective Constable Stacey Thompson from the Online Child Abuse Investigation Team.
“Even upon his release, Gould will be continually monitored under the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order to ensure he does not reoffend and target any more children online.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
