Prolific Stokesley sex offender jailed for online child abuse

Police described Mark Wilson as a prolific and remorseless offender

A "prolific" sex offender who targeted and abused nine victims has been jailed for six years and eight months.

Mark Wilson contacted children as young as seven via social media, demanding they send explicit images of themselves or he would expose them.

On one occasion the 35-year-old sent a video of one of his victims to their mother, police said.

Wilson, of Allen Grove, Stokesley, was jailed at Teesside Crown Court after pleading guilty to 27 offences.

Det Con Karen Barugh, of North Yorkshire Police, said Wilson had committed "multiple malicious and sexual offences against children" online between 2018 and 2020.

"They must have been terrified at the thought of him carrying out his threats," she said

"He was prolific in his targeting of children and has shown no remorse for what he did."

Mark Anthony Wilson was jailed for six years and eight months at Teesside Crown Court

The force said over the course of two years Wilson targeted vulnerable children and young adults aged between seven and 19.

He pleaded guilty to offences including, distributing an indecent photograph of a child, sexual communication with a child, causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and making indecent images of children.

In addition to his prison sentence Wilson was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Ms Barugh added: "I'd like to thank those children and young people who were brave enough to come forward and give a statement to the police.

"I would urge anyone else to do the same if they are victim of any type of sexual offence."