A man from Crawley has been sentenced for child sex offences, including incitement to sexual activity, and making and possession of indecent images of children.

Oliver Sturman, 19, formerly of Knighton Close, Crawley, and currently of Newton Road, Southampton, appeared in custody at Southampton Crown Court on Friday 9 January, and was sentenced to a total of five and a half years imprisonment, with a further four and a half years to be served on extended release licence.

Sturman had pleaded guilty a previous hearing to seven offences of inciting an 11-year old girl to engage in sexual activity, and one offence of causing a child to watch a sexual act, over webcam, four similar offences in relation to another girl aged 12, both of whom live outside Sussex, and ten offences of taking and possessing indecent images of other girls via webcam. All these offences took place while he was living in Crawley.

After his arrest and bail in May last year, Sturman moved to Southampton and has also pleaded guilty there to inciting girls under 16 to engage in sexual activity. As with the Sussex offences, the victims were all contacted online and all received indecent messages aimed or sent with the intention of facilitating sexual activity between Sturman and the victims.

He was also sentenced on Friday after admitting sexual activity with 14-year old girl, and causing/inciting the same victim to have sexual activity by penetration. both offences in Nottinghamshire, committed whilst on bail but after he had moved to Southampton.

Sturman was also required to register as a sex offender for life, and was given a Sexual Offence Prevention Order (SOPO) for 12 years severely restricting his access to young girls and computers.

The case followed an intelligence-led investigation by the Paedophile On-Line Investigation Team (POLIT) of Sussex Police.

Detective Constable Chris Smith of POLIT said “We received intelligence that Sturman was engaging in indecent live on-line video chat with one of the girls. When we arrested him and seized his computer we found evidence of all the other offending.

“It became clear that he had for some time been systematically approaching teenage girls on-line via websites, and coercing them into performing indecent acts for his enjoyment and sexual gratification, threatening to tell their friends if they refused to co-operate.

“However this behaviour came to our notice, and we moved swiftly to arrest him and put a stop to his vicious and unpleasant activities.

“This case serves as a further reminder to parents and teenage children that great care needs to be taken in making contacts on-line.”

For further advice on how to young people can keep themselves safe on-line, go to http://www.sussex.police.uk/policing-in-sussex/your-community/crime-prevention-advice/computers-and-internet