Surrey paedophile who used social media to find victims jailed

A paedophile who pretended to be a woman on social media to target children has been jailed for 18 years.

Jonathan Woodward, 22, was convicted at Guildford Crown Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to 39 child sex offences.

The offences took place between 2015 and 2021, when Woodward was living in Ashford.

At the sentencing, the judge said the case was the "worst I've seen for some while".

An investigation into Woodward began when he was reported to police after a suspected indecent image of a child was seen on his mobile phone.

Woodward was arrested and multiple digital devices were seized by police.

Examination of his devices revealed contact with children from across the world on multiple social media platforms.

He used fake profiles pretending to be a woman to lure children into sexual activity online, which he recorded.

Woodward also used software to identify the areas where his victims lived and used the information and the recordings to threaten the victims and obtain more graphic material.

Woodward, of no fixed address, must serve two thirds of his 18-year sentence, with a further eight years extended license.

He is also subject to a lifetime sexual harm prevention order.

Det Insp Antony Preston, from the Surrey Police paedophile online investigation team, said: "Woodward's behaviour has impacted countless lives, and I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the bravery and courage of these young victims who have helped put this man behind bars for a long time.

"I would urge those using social media to speak out should they feel threatened or intimidated online, using online reporting functions or contacting police to report such behaviour.

"This investigation and sentencing shows that there is no place for such vile behaviour. We will work tirelessly to ensure child sex abusers face the consequences of their actions."

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