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National
Rob Kennedy

Ashington pervert said he 'loved things he shouldn't like' in sickening chats during police sting

A pervert has been jailed after sickening online exchanges with what turned out to be an undercover police officer.

Benjamin Parr thought he was chatting to an internet user called 'Dan' but had been caught in a covert sting. He had struck up a conversation on Kik, in a group police believed was linked to child sexual abuse and they began to exchange private messages.

During four days of vile chat, Parr confessed he "loved things he shouldn't like", said he needed a child who was "trained" and boasted that his "eyes had only recently been opened" when he was sent an image of a girl aged seven or eight and he "liked it".

Read more: Durham farmer who lived James Bond-style fantasy jailed after gun found hidden in chicken coop

Newcastle Crown Court heard Parr sent three videos and one picture of child abuse, featuring victims aged between five and 13, as well as a bestiality video to 'Dan' during the chats in April 2021. And when police raided his home they seized a mobile phone containing a total of 21 indecent images, both still and moving, across all three categories of seriousness and featuring children aged between seven and 12.

Parr, 27, of Woodlands Road, Ashington, Northumberland, admitted three charges of making indecent images of children, distributing indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography. Judge Edward Bindloss sentenced him to 16 months behind bars. Parr must sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

The judge told him: "You and Dan started communicating over Kik then on private messages. There were four days of explicit conversations with this undercover police officer, about child abuse and about your sexualised fantasies with children."

John Crawford, defending, said Parr has split from his partner and lost his job. Mr Crawford said Parr would co-operate with the probation service and added: "Work can be done with him and he is willing to do it."

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