A man has been jailed for nine years for attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence, causing the sexual exploitation of children, and making and distributing indecent photographs of children.
Luke Cowling, 27, of Tavistock Road, Launceston, appeared at Truro Crown Court on Friday 23 August for sentence having previously pleaded guilty to distribution of indecent photographs of a child, making indecent photographs of children, attempting to arrange/facilitate the sexual abuse of children and causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of children.
Cowling was made subject of a 20 year sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offenders’ register for life.
Cowling’s offending came to light after Devon and Cornwall Police received intelligence from the National Crime Agency (NCA) in August 2021, stating that a KiK account linked to Cowling had uploaded a Category A indecent video of a child to the internet.
In addition to NCA referral, Devon and Cornwall Police was contacted by the Metropolitan Regional Organised Crime Unit after Cowling engaged online with an adult profile expressing a sexual interest in children. During this conversation, Cowling discussed meeting the profile to rape the person’s seven-year-old daughter. The profile was being operated by an undercover officer.
As a result of the information provided to Devon and Cornwall Police, a search warrant was executed at Cowling’s home and a variety of devices were seized.
Examination of the devices revealed that Cowling had been in communication with a convicted paedophile in Merseyside who has since been jailed.
The two exchanged tens of thousands of messages with Cowling directing the other man to photograph and video abuse of his adopted children and send it to him.
Cowling and the other paedophile exchanged various child abuse images and videos with Cowling even getting the other man to produce a contract acknowledging that he was a paedophile and that Cowling was his master. Cowling was also found to have distributed child abuse images to other online users.
During interview, Cowling admitted having a sexual interest in children.
Officer in the case Sophie House said: "This was a complex police investigation which incorporated work from both the D&C Paedophile Online Investigation Team, The Merseyside Paedophile Online Investigation Team, the National Crime Agency, and the Metropolitan Regional Organised Crime Unit.
"We welcome today’s sentence and hope this conviction serves as a stark warning to those with an unlawfully blurred view of consent and the wider implications of child sexual abuse material. Cowling and the other individual’s relationship was a true meeting of wicked minds, in addition to Cowling’s entrenched sexual interest in child sexual abuse material.
"We will never stop investigating online offences in order to safeguard children and protect the public from those who would seek to hurt children.
"By possessing child sexual abuse material, even if you are not the one committing the abuse, you are nevertheless contributing to the sexual exploitation of a child somewhere in the world. For those tempted to engage in this type of behaviour, our message is simple: we are watching you, you will be caught, and you can expect a knock at the door from us."
If you have been affected by crime, please visit victimcare-dc.org to access support services and information on your rights and how to navigate the criminal justice system. You can also call Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111 or Devon and Cornwall Police’s Victim Care Unit on 01392 475900.
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