Man, 36, sentenced for string of child sex offences

A 36-year-old man has been jailed after pleading guilty to child sex offences and possession of Class A drugs.

Christopher Saunders-Pope from Wilton, in Wiltshire, was sentenced to three years and four months at a hearing at Swindon Crown Court on Thursday.

Saunders-Pope was arrested by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) in March 2024, after he communicated with what he believed to be a teenage boy that he intended to sexually abuse.

"When we arrested Saunders-Pope, he had travelled that day having made plans to abuse a young boy. Instead, he was taken into custody and prevented from causing the harm he intended," said Det Insp David Wells from SWROCU.

"Law enforcement agencies are constantly across the internet working to identify anyone looking to abuse or exploit children. Saunders-Pope's arrest was part of this ongoing work," he added.

At a hearing in April, Saunders-Pope pleaded guilty to child sex offences, including three counts of making indecent images of children, possessing extreme pornographic images and cocaine possession.

The judge also handed Saunders-Pope a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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