Sex offender jailed for acts while on licence in Salisbury

John Devine was already a registered sex offender when he committed the acts

A registered sex offender has been jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to multiple child sex offences.

John Devine, 52, was living in Salisbury while on prison licence when he committed a range of offences, including attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Devices seized from his property contained 600 images and videos of the most serious abuse of children.

He was sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court on Tuesday and returned to jail.

'Risk to society'

Det Con Sadie McCoy, of the Wiltshire Police child internet exploitation team, said: "Despite being on licence at the time of these offences, Devine has continued to offend.

"He is a risk to society and I am pleased the serious nature of his offending has been recognised and he has been given a lengthy prison sentence."

Between 2 September 2021 and 1 October 2021, Devine engaged online with the profile of a user whom he believed to be a 12-year-old boy.

The conversation was sexual in nature and Devine encouraged the child to carry out a sexual act.

During the investigation, run in conjunction with the Regional Organised Crime Unit in South Wales (ROCU), there was no child victim and no children were abused.

He was arrested in October 2021.

Devine pleaded guilty to the following offences:

• Make indecent images of a child (category A)

• Make indecent images of a child (category B)

• Make indecent images of a child (category C)

• Distribute an indecent image of a child (category A)

• Distribute an indecent image of a child (category C)

• Attempt to engage in sexual communication with a child

• Attempt to cause a child to engage in penetrative sexual activity

• Attempt to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity.

As well as the 12 year prison sentence, Devine must register indefinitely as a sex offender.

In 2011 Devine was given an indeterminate prison sentence after admitting 13 sex offences against boys dating from the early 1990s until 2007.

Det Insp Mathew Davies, from the ROCU, said: "It is our absolute priority to protect and keep children safe in our communities.

"Law enforcement operates across the internet and we will relentlessly seek to bring to justice offenders who use the web to facilitate the abuse of children.

"We are committed to combating child sexual abuse, safeguarding children and bringing those offenders who seek to abuse children to justice."