Ipswich: Jail for Abuse Text Man

2 August 2012, 06:00 | Updated: 2 August 2012, 07:12

A man from Ipswich has beenn sentenced for arranging to sexually abuse a child via text message.

Kelvin Sadler, aged 50 and of Oaklee in Ipswich contacted a person in South Yorkshire by text message and over the course of the conversation Sadler requested to pay for access to children so he could carry out sexual acts. The other person notified police, and Suffolk Constabulary executed a warrant at Sadler’s home on 14 November 2011.

A computer, phone, camera and other items were seized and their contents viewed by Suffolk’s Online Investigation Team, who found the indecent and pornographic images.

Sadler was charged with three offences on 21 January 2012. Whilst admitting making 108 indecent images of children and possessing 400 extreme pornography images, he denied arranging to sexually abuse a child and went on trial at Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday 5 July 2012. Following a one and a half day trial, the jury found him guilty.

He has been sentenced to three years imprisonment and will be subject to the sex offenders register for life.

Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Bernie Morgan said: “This is a disturbing case where a conversation by text message has descended into the obscene and extreme. Justice has now been done and children are protected from this individual whilst he completes a custodial sentence. He will have to sign the Sex Offenders Register, and a Sexual Offences Prevention Order has also been taken out to further safeguard children upon his release.

"Whilst no child became a victim as a result of his text conversation, sadly those children in the images he held had already been exploited. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that children in Suffolk are kept safe in all environments.”

Kelvin Sadler