SPECIALIST police officers are warning there is nowhere to hide for online child predators after catching a man and seeing him jailed for more than five years.

John McArthur, 33, formerly of Shalford Road, Braintree, admitted to 18 offences at Chelmsford Crown Court on September 6.

This includes ten counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, one count of making indecent photographs of children, two counts of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity and five counts of attempting to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity.

McArthur was sentenced to five years and four months in prison and ordered to serve a further three years and eight months on an extended licence.

It follows an investigation by officers from Essex Police’s Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT) who monitored suspicious activity in a chat room.

During an investigation by POLIT officers, a user in a chat room began sexualised conversations with two girls he believed were 12-years-old.

The user claimed to be a 22-year-old man from London but in reality, the account belonged to the 33-year-old John McArthur. 

After examination of his devices, McArthur was summonsed to appear in court charged with 18 offences.

McArthur was also added to the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

Essex Police say the orders in place ensure he will continue to be the subject of stringent checks by offender managers.

Detective Sergeant Samantha Lewin of POLIT said: “It’s clear that McArthur poses a very real threat to our communities and there is no doubt that children are safer with him behind bars.

“Our teams work around the clock to identify those who put your children’s safety at risk online, to disrupt their activities, and bring them to justice.

“If you think you can hide behind a fake profile online, think again.”