Jacques Du Plessis

A 51-year-old man from Newport, Shropshire, has been imprisoned for more than eight years following his conviction for grooming and sexually assaulting a young boy. Jacques Du Plessis initiated contact with the survivor through Snapchat, building a relationship that led to him arranging to pick up the boy in Newcastle-under-Lyme last year.

Over the subsequent few days, Du Plessis sexually assaulted the boy on multiple occasions at various locations. In one particularly disturbing incident, he recorded the assault on his phone, which later served as key evidence in the case. The offences came to light when the boy reported the incidents to Staffordshire Police in May 2024.

Detectives from the force's child protection team conducted a thorough investigation, prioritising support for the survivor while compiling robust evidence against Du Plessis. This effort resulted in charges including three counts of engaging in sexual activity with a boy, one count of meeting a boy following grooming, making indecent or pseudo-photographs of a child, and distributing an indecent or pseudo-photograph of a child.

Du Plessis appeared at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on 17 April 2025, where he pleaded guilty to all charges. He was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison. PC Bev Rainer, from Staffordshire Police's child protection team, highlighted the dedication of the officers involved, stating: “Officers and staff worked tirelessly to build all of the evidence needed to secure this result against another dangerous child sex offender in Staffordshire.” The case underscores the bravery of the survivor and the police's commitment to tackling child sexual exploitation.