Neil Bennett

Neil Bennett, a 39-year-old former member of the armed forces from Mills Lane, Towcester, in Northamptonshire, engaged in online communications that led to his conviction for attempting to arrange the sexual offence of a child. Over a two-week period, Bennett believed he was messaging the mother of an 11-year-old girl, discussing plans to meet up for the purpose of sexually assaulting the child. Unbeknownst to him, the individual on the other end was an undercover police officer conducting a sting operation.

The court heard at Northampton Crown Court that Bennett's messages demonstrated a clear intent to carry out the assault. As part of what was described as a 'vetting process', he sent indecent images of children to the supposed mother to prove his seriousness about the arrangement. He even requested that she provide similar images of her own child. This disturbing exchange formed the basis of the evidence against him, leading to his arrest after chat logs were reviewed by authorities.

Upon searching Bennett's devices following his detention, police discovered 108 indecent images of children, with 50 classified as Category A—the most severe category under UK law. Bennett pleaded guilty to the charges. On the day the arranged meeting was due to take place, he cancelled, which the judge noted during sentencing as a moment of second thoughts. Recorder Mr Stuart Sprawson remarked, 'On the day, you had second thoughts and realised what you were doing was wrong, improper, or simply something you couldn't go through with.' However, the judge emphasised the seriousness of Bennett's actions over the preceding weeks, stating, 'But it's right that, in summary, you over a period of two weeks expressed a seriousness to go through with it.'

Despite Bennett showing 'genuine remorse' after being caught, the court deemed an immediate custodial sentence necessary. Mr Sprawson explained, 'I feel I would not be doing my duty if I did not deal with this with an immediate custodial sentence.' Bennett was sentenced to 18 months in prison and received a sexual harm prevention order, which imposes restrictions on his use of the internet and electronic devices. The case was handled by Northamptonshire Police, highlighting their efforts in protecting children from online sexual exploitation.

This incident, reported by the Northampton Chronicle & Echo on 2 June 2021, underscores the dangers of online grooming and the effectiveness of undercover operations in preventing child sex offences. Bennett's background as an ex-serviceman did not mitigate the severity of his actions in the eyes of the law.