MAN GUILTY OF ONLINE CHILD EXPLOITATION ATTEMPT

A man who attempted to arrange to abuse two young children with a woman online was actually communicating with an undercover police officer, a court has heard.Adrian Parker of Cameron Close, Stratton St Margaret, pleaded guilty to two counts of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence at Swindon Crown Court.Parker, who believed he was planning to carry out sexual acts on a six-year-old and four-month-old, was described as a "significant risk to children".He has been remanded in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on December 4.During the investigation, Parker had gone as far as purchasing a Barbie toy car as a gift for the six-year-old, which was recovered by officers upon his arrest.Investigator Beccy Scott from the Child Internet Exploitation Team (CIET) stated she welcomed Parker's guilty plea, emphasizing that he "poses a significant risk to children". She further said, "I have no doubt that Parker had every intention to carry out these depraved crimes against vulnerable children. Here is a man with a clear sexual preoccupation with pre-pubescent children who has purposefully used the internet to seek out children or adults with access to children."Det Supt Becky Tadd from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) commended the joint efforts with Wiltshire Police, highlighting the operation as "excellent against a highly dangerous sexual predator".Wiltshire Police encourages the public to report suspicions of child exploitation through their contact channels and highlights the importance of community vigilance in protecting children.