Seamus McKee

A 35-year-old man from Colchester, Essex, is set to be sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court for attempting to engage in sexual communication with children online. Seamus McKee, of Sargeant Close, admitted to two counts of attempted sexual communication with a child following exchanges with members of an online activist group who posed as schoolgirls.

The court heard that McKee believed he was chatting with a 13-year-old girl, during which he inquired if she liked older men and requested a picture of her in shorts. He further instructed her to search for the word 'porno' online and explicitly stated that he was 'horny'. In a separate conversation with someone he thought was a 14-year-old, McKee made disturbing remarks, suggesting that some fathers engage in sexual activity with their daughters and advising her to ask her grandmother to teach her about sex. These interactions highlight the predatory nature of his communications, targeting vulnerable minors with explicit and grooming-like behaviour.

McKee was apprehended by the online activist group on 17 May 2023 and subsequently arrested. This incident is not his first brush with the law; in 2019, he received a suspended prison sentence for inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, stemming from a similar online chat with a decoy child. Judge David Pugh, presiding over the case at Ipswich Crown Court, adjourned the sentencing until 14 July 2023 to allow the probation service to update a pre-existing report on McKee. The judge issued a stern warning, stating he was making no promises regarding the sentence McKee would receive, indicating the seriousness with which the court views repeat offending in child sexual exploitation cases.

The case underscores the role of online activist groups in exposing potential paedophiles and aiding law enforcement. McKee's admissions and prior conviction paint a picture of persistent engagement in online grooming activities, prompting concerns about child safety in digital spaces. Reporting from The Echo, this story is based on court proceedings at Ipswich Crown Court and details provided by court reporter Jane Hunt.