August 18, 2017 3.26 pm This story is over 79 months old

‘Devious paedophile’ jailed after exchanging sexual messages with child online

He was discovered by officers.
Kevin Isham has been jailed

A 53-year-old man who was discovered exchanging sexual messages with a child online has been jailed.

Kevin Isham, of Sellwood Gardens, Horncastle, who has been remanded in custody since May 24, was found guilty on July 21 of committing six sexual offence.

He has been sentenced to serve at least two–and-a-half-years in prison.

Isham was charged and found guilty of three counts of possessing indecent images of children, one count of possessing indecent images, one count of possessing extreme pornography, one count of breaching an existing Sexual Offences Prevention Order and one count of attempted sexual grooming of a child under 16.

Sentencing, Recorder Gareth Evans QC described the man as a “sly, devious, calculated, almost intelligent paedophile.”

Officers were alerted to Isham after discovering an indecent photograph had been uploaded to a Facebook account associated with the 53-year-old on June 26, 2016.

When investigating the offence, officers took and examined a mobile phone which was sent for analysis.

The mobile phone contained indecent images of children, extreme pornography and a chat-log between Isham and a girl under 16 on the social app Whatsapp, in which Isham directed sexual messages in an attempt to groom.

During this period, Isham was banned from using the internet unless in a public library, as part of his previous prevention order.

In 2007, Isham had been convicted for possessing child pornography, and in October 2009 he was given a nine-month suspended sentence for breaching a previous order.

After breaching the order a second time, he was given an eight-month prison sentence.

Detective Sergeant Victoria Midgley, from the Paedophile Online Investigation Team, said: “Mr Isham is a dangerous paedophile who has continually ignored all the deterrents that have been placed to try and stop him committing further sexual offences.

“These continued offences show that he is a dangerous individual, who needed to be taken away for the protection of children who could have become future victims to his further offences.

“My team spent a lengthy amount of time going through all the horrific evidence on Mr Isham’s phone and so I am now glad that he has been given a significant custodial sentence.”

Isham was also told he would be on licence for four years following his release, and he would be subject to a new Sexual Offences Prevention Order.