DARON MILTON AND HIS SHOCKING ONLINE GROOMING IN POOLE
A man previously employed as a school bus driver has been sentenced to prison after attempting to groom a child for sexual activity through online communications in the Poole area.Daron Milton, aged 53 and based in Bournemouth, was found guilty of attempting to incite a minor to engage in sexual acts, having used digital platforms to communicate with what he believed was a 12-year-old girl.
The exchange of messages took place over the messaging apps Kik and WhatsApp between July 18 and August 13, 2020.
According to court proceedings, Milton initiated contact with the undercover officer, who was operating a fake account set up by West Midlands Police, posing as a 12-year-old girl.
The Bournemouth Crown Court heard that Milton was the first to reach out, sending a message that read: "Hi beautiful, how are you?".
This initial message marked the beginning of a series of increasingly concerning communications.
Throughout the following weeks, Milton’s messages clearly demonstrated grooming behaviors.
The court was informed that he repeatedly called the supposed girl “sweetheart” and “beautiful”.
The messages included graphic and explicit instructions on how she could perform sexual acts on herself.
The offender’s repeated requests for photographs and his attempts to call the girl during the conversations underscored his intent to exploit her.
Milton’s messages also contained disturbing references to meeting up.
In August 2020, he expressed a desire to see the girl in person and even suggested a potential meetup.
Incidentally, he claimed to be a London-based lorry driver but asked to arrange a physical meeting with the child on more than one occasion, according to the evidence presented.
The police investigation was triggered when authorities from West Midlands Police alerted Dorset Police about the IP address associated with Milton’s online account, which was traced back to his home in Bournemouth.
Officers from Dorset Police responded swiftly; they arrested Milton on September 14, 2020, shortly after he had finished a school bus run.
At the time of his arrest, Milton was actively driving children to and from local high schools, an activity that shocked investigators.
During the search of his devices, police officers seized two mobile phones that contained six indecent images of children.
Milton’s actions and the content found on his phones revealed a grave risk of harm.
In court, Milton chose not to be represented by a lawyer and pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to cause or incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, as well as two counts of making indecent photographs of a child.
His earlier plea was accepted, and the court was informed that he had been frank and honest with the probation service.
Milton’s health issues, which were described as very significant, were taken into consideration by the judge, Stephen Climie, when determining his sentence.
During the hearing, Milton acknowledged his wrongdoing, stating that he understood what he did was totally wrong and emphasizing that he would never meet anyone he communicated with online.
The judge awarded Milton a prison sentence of three years and eight months.
Moreover, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, which aims to protect the public by restricting his activities.
Detective Inspector Mark Fursman, who is part of the Police Online Child Exploitation Team (POLIT) and the IMPACT unit focusing on missing persons and child sexual exploitation, emphasized the importance of proactive measures.
He highlighted the collaboration between police, the National Crime Agency, and other agencies to identify individuals who use the internet to abuse children.
Fursman urged the public to remain vigilant and contact Dorset Police or Crimestoppers if they suspect someone is involved in grooming or inappropriately sharing images of children online, reinforcing the ongoing commitment to safeguard vulnerable youngsters from online predators.
