Norfolk: American Police Help Catch Paedophile
19 April 2013, 14:06 | Updated: 19 April 2013, 14:29
A Norfolk sex offender's been jailed with the help of police in America.
37-year-old Robert Sadd from King's Lynn has been sentenced to five years in prison.
He was caught by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) in America emailing a number of girls in the States and exchanging indecent images from his home in North Everard Street in King's Lynn.
Sadd's activities first came to light in November 2011, when a father in America caught his teenage daughter communicating with him online. The communication had become sexual, and the father notified the authorities and the NCIS began their inquiry.
NCIS contacted the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) in the UK with their findings, who in turn contacted Norfolk Constabulary and a warrant was executed on 13 March 2012 where evidence was seized.
When the computers were examined they were found to contain 17,500 indecent images of children.
Police also found that Sadd had been communicating with and met with a 15 year old female from the London area.
37-year-old Sadd was arrested in July 2012 and gave no comment in police interviews. On 16 November 2012 he was charged and then subsequently admitted the following offences:
* Make an indecent photograph of a child - 1 count
* Sexual activity with a child - 3 counts
* Incite a child to engage in sexual activity - 1 count
* Possess an indecent photograph of a child - 14 counts
* Possess a prohibited image of a child - 4 counts
* Possess extreme pornographic image - 3 counts
Sadd was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on Friday 19 April 2013.
Officer in the case, Detective Constable Tracy Billing, said: "Sadd is a predatory sex offender, taking advantage of modern technology to abuse girls across the world as well as physically in this country. He had in his possession a vast amount of indecent and prohibited images; internet crimes such as these are far from victimless where every image depicts the very real abuse a young child has suffered. He will be spending a considerable time in prison and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life so that the very real danger to children and young people he poses can be managed."
Detective Sergeant Sally Money added: "Norfolk Constabulary, like the other agencies involved in this investigation, will do everything within its power to protect victims who are subjected to these potentially life changing acts of indecency purely for the gratification of others. We would also encourage parents to take an interest in their children's online activities. Young people often have no idea who they are really chatting to and could be unwittingly putting themselves in a vulnerable position."
CEOP's Head of Operational Delivery Paul Phillips said: "Working with international law enforcement agencies, CEOP officers share information and intelligence on those suspected of abusing children via the internet, ensuring those who seek to cause harm to children, no matter where they are located, are held accountable for their actions.
"The prison sentence Sadd is starting today should act as a deterrent to those who think they can abuse children via the internet - you will be caught and punished."