Lance Baynes

A 48-year-old man from Walsall, Lance Baynes, has been jailed for eight years after planning to commit a horrific sexual offence against an eight-year-old girl at Sutton Scotney Services in Hampshire.

On 21 August 2020, Baynes travelled across the country to meet another individual at the service station, intending to rape the child. He was carrying restraints, sex toys, and lubricant in his possession. Unbeknownst to him, the arrangement was part of a carefully orchestrated police sting operation by Hampshire Constabulary. Officers arrested Baynes on the spot, preventing the planned assault.

Following his arrest, police seized Baynes' electronic devices and uncovered a disturbing cache of 1,430 indecent or extreme images of children. Further investigation revealed that Baynes had been the administrator of an online account used to share these images with other paedophiles. Additionally, evidence showed he had engaged in sexual communication with a 13-year-old girl.

At Winchester Crown Court, Baynes pleaded guilty to ten serious charges, including arranging or facilitating the rape of a child under 13, three counts of making indecent images of children, possession of extreme indecent images, three counts of distributing indecent images of children, and intentionally encouraging an offender to commit an indictable offence. The court heard details of his dangerous intentions and online activities during the sentencing hearing on 23 December 2020.

Detective Constable Steve Hill from Hampshire Constabulary's ICAT unit described Baynes as a 'dangerous offender' and emphasised the complexity of the investigation, which involved collaboration with SEROCU. 'Prior to his arrest Lance Baynes had been planning to commit an atrocious offence against what he believed was an 8-year-old girl,' DC Hill stated. Baynes will serve eight years in prison and remain on licence for four years upon release.

This case underscores the vigilance of law enforcement in combating child sexual exploitation, with Baynes' actions highlighting the perils of online grooming and the distribution of abusive material.