Harborough man jailed after performing sex acts in front of children online

A man who performed sex acts in front of children online has been jailed.

James Dyson, aged 26, of Market Harborough was also found to have downloaded thousands of child sexual abuse images over a seven-and-a-half year period.

Nearly 6,000 of the images were found to be Category A – the most serious sexual abuse that can be committed against children.

Evidence of his crimes was found on his work mobile phone in January 2023.

Forensic analysis of other electronic devices revealed thousands of indecent images of children – many which Dyson had tried and failed to delete.

Detectives also uncovered evidence of four occasions where Dyson used a social media platform to engage children in online sexual activity.

Work is currently ongoing to identify the four children involved.

Dyson answered no comment to questions posed to him by officers, but later pleaded guilty to four counts of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

He also pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, three counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child, and two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday (February 23) he was jailed for five years.

He was also added to the sex offenders’ register for life and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order which will restrict his on-line activity and access to children in the future.

Det Cons Tom Nuttall, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Behind every one of the indecent images we found on Dyson’s devices is a real child somewhere in the world who is being subjected to the most appalling physical and sexual abuse at the hands of adults.

“The physical and emotional impact of that kind of abuse cannot be understated, and people like Dyson are contributing directly to that harm.

“It is very clear he knew what he was doing was wrong and also that he went to great lengths to try and delete evidence of his crimes.

“I am pleased he has now been exposed and punished and hope this sentence serves as a warning to others about the inevitable consequences of viewing and distributing this kind of material.”