Timothy Evans, 43 (DOB: 11/02/1982), of Camberley, was sentenced at Chichester Crown Court on Friday, 14 February.

Evans had been known to police due to a prior conviction in 2022, for sexually communicating with a female child under 16, and arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

Following his release from prison for those offences in July 2024, he was subject to the Sexual Offences registration requirements and had a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which placed tight prohibitions on him, including having no contact with children.

Between September 2024 and October 2024, Evans engaged in sexual communication with a child profile he believed to be a 14-year-old girl named ‘Jess.

On this occasion, the child profile was an undercover officer deployed to speak with other users to seek out those who incite children into sexual activity.

Despite it being clear that the account was of a 14-year-old girl, Evans continued to message and went on to describe several sexual acts he wished to engage in.

Evans suggested to the child profile that he could travel to meet with them and agreed that they would meet at a train station. He also made further plans to attend the home address of the 14-year-old girl whilst her parents were out.

Shortly after his final contact with the account, Evans was arrested and remanded in custody before being subsequently charged on October 24, 2024.

Matt Wythe, from Surrey Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT), said: "Once we received intelligence about Evans’ online activity, we took swift action to arrest him and seize his devices and the intended victim was never subject to any physical sexual offence.

“The behaviour shown was predatory, so I am extremely pleased with this outcome.

"I would like to thank officers and staff not only in POLIT, but also colleagues working on the Violent and Sex Offender Register and High Harm Perpetrator Unit, who have collaborated to bring a registered sex offender to justice.

This is a clear demonstration of our policing response to the ever-present online threat posed by predators towards children."