Man who groomed kids on Roblox and Fortnite jailed

Kieran Francis, 22, pleaded guilty to a number of child sex offences

A man who groomed children through Roblox and Fortnite has been jailed for five years.

Kieran Francis, 22, of Fishponds Road, Bristol, pleaded guilty to a number of child sex offences at Bristol Crown Court on 16 October.

After his arrest in April police found more than 1,000 indecent images of children in a review of his electronic devices.

As well as his prison sentence, Francis was handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was added to the Sex Offender's Register for life.

Earlier this year Francis pleaded guilty to two counts of causing a child to watch or look at an image of sexual activity, four counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of attempting to meet a child following grooming.

He also admitted to three counts of possessing indecent images and one count of distributing indecent images of children.

At his sentencing the court heard that Francis had first come to police attention in February, and was bailed after his April arrest under the condition he did not speak to any children.

At the same time that Avon and Somerset Police were investigating him, three other police forces contacted them to report he had been speaking to three other children online - at which point it was discovered Francis had been using children's video games to befriend and privately message them.

Following this, Francis was arrested again on 9 August, charged and remanded in custody.

'Calculated and cruel'

In a victim personal statement, read out at the sentencing, one of the children's mothers said: "My son's childhood has been stolen, his trust shattered and his safety ripped away.

"He was groomed online by the defendant – a predator who deliberately targeted an innocent child. This was not an accident. It was calculated. It was cruel.

"My son was a happy, carefree boy who trusted people. That boy is gone.

"This is not short-term harm. These are deep wounds which will shape his entire life. He has lost his carefree childhood. That loss cannot be undone."

Another victim's mother said: "While my children were growing up, I always told them not to be afraid of the dark and that monsters weren't hiding in the shadows at night.

"I now realise I was right, monsters don't hide in the shadows at night, but I was wrong in saying they didn't exist. They do and he's before us now."

Officer in the case, Det Con Natalie Norman, described Francis' crimes as "repulsive", adding that he "took advantage of children who were just wanting to enjoy their free time playing video games".

Thanking the victims and their families for their part in bringing Francis to justice, Det Con Norman said: "We would not have the result we have today, and saved possibly other children from a similar fate, without them."