Internet 'groomer' Kevin King targeted 14 year old

A Bury St Edmunds man, who groomed a vulnerable 14-year-old girl for sex after meeting her on a website, has been jailed.
Kevin King, 22, from Tayfen Road, pretended to be a 'sympathetic confidante' to the girl, after meeting her on a website, used by vulnerable people who have been abused or who self-harm.

A jury at Maidstone Crown Court, in Kent, convicted King of sexual grooming in November. He had denied the offence.

Now, he has been sentenced to two years and nine months in prison, banned from working with children and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register.

The court heard King already had a conviction for downloading child sex abuse images.

He was said to have told the girl ? who cannot be named for legal reasons ? that he had fallen for her and could not resist her.

He met her on the website and contacted her through instant messaging, webcam and mobile phone.

King started meeting the girl on Folkestone beach, in Kent, but on one occasion the girl's stepfather went along instead and photographed King.

He had become concerned after discovering the messages his stepdaughter was receiving from King. One said her sexy smile made him want her more, another that he loved her and a third said he was 'not a perv' but thought that she was 'cute for her age'.

Hanna Llewellyn-Waters, prosecuting said King had 'manipulated' the girl.

"He tried to present himself to her as a friendly and approachable grown-up. He chose to adopt a grooming approach designed to flatter her and encourage her affections," she said.

King was even said to have told the teenager he was worried the law would regard him as grooming her for sex.

When he was arrested King said 'fair enough,' but denied wanting to have sex with her.

King had previously been sentenced to four months youth custody in January 2005 for possessing indecent images of children. He also had convictions for indecent exposure, harassment and threats to kill an ex-girlfriend.

Bury Free Press