Nigel Stewart

A 55-year-old man from Canterbury, Kent, has been imprisoned for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. Nigel Stewart, residing on Gordon Road, targeted what he believed to be a 14-year-old girl online, bombarding her with indecent messages and graphic images over several weeks starting from 13 September 2022.

According to an investigation by Kent Police's Paedophile Online Investigation Team, Stewart was repeatedly informed of the girl's age during their interactions but continued to send explicit content and requests for her to perform sex acts. Unbeknownst to him, the profile was fictitious, created by law enforcement to identify potential offenders. On 18 October 2022, officers executed a search at his home, arrested him, and seized his mobile phone, which provided crucial evidence of his intentional actions.

The case proceeded through a lengthy and complex investigation, leading to Stewart being charged with attempting sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. He appeared before Canterbury Crown Court on 8 August 2023, where he pleaded guilty to both offences. Sentencing occurred on 10 October 2023 at the same court, where he received two years and 11 months' imprisonment. Additionally, Stewart was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the next ten years to restrict his behaviour and protect the public.

Detective Inspector Robert Grieve of Kent Police commented on the case, stating: 'Stewart aggressively pursued what he thought was a 14-year-old girl, bombarding them with indecent messages. Had Stewart successfully made contact with a real child, his actions would have had a long-lasting emotional and psychological impact on them. Custodial sentences like this are necessary to prevent people like him from potentially inflicting serious harm on children.' This operation underscores Kent Police's commitment to safeguarding children from online predators, as reported by UKNIP.