A sex offender has been jailed after arranging to meet a 14-year-old boy at a supermarket.John Ward was arrested when he arrived to meet the child and was confronted by police officers who had been investigating his illegal activity online.The 63-year-old, from Sutherland Street, Barrow-in-Furness, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years at Preston Crown Court.Det Con Sarah Aiston of Cumbria Police described Ward as a "dangerous man".Ward sent explicit sexual messages to what he believed was a minor.
He had arranged a meeting at Tesco Express in Rawlinson Street, Barrow, in November.
When he arrived, police officers arrested him and charged him with several offenses.He previously received a sexual harm prevention order following past convictions involving a minor.He was sentenced to 30 months for attempting to meet the child, nine months for failing to meet notification requirements, and nine months for breaching his sexual harm prevention order.
These sentences are set to run concurrently.After sentencing, Ms Aiston, of the Cumbria Police cyber and digital crime unit, emphasized that "John Ward is a dangerous man who used social media to communicate with a person he thought to be a 14-year-old boy.
Despite him being aware of the minor's age, he continued to explicitly detail sexual thoughts and made arrangements to meet in person."
Court Outcome
Conviction and Sentencing Details
Sentenced
Detected legal outcome
cers who had been investigating his illegal activity online.The 63-year-old, from Sutherland Street, Barrow-in-Furness, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years at Preston Crown Court.Det Con Sarah Aiston of Cumbria Police described Ward as...
Prison sentence
two-and-a-half years
A sex offender has been jailed after arranging to meet a 14-year-old boy at a supermarket.John Ward was arrested when he arrived to meet the child and was confronted by police officers who had been investigating his illegal activity online.The 63-year-old, from Sutherland Street, Barrow-in-Furness, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years at Preston Crown Court.Det Con Sarah Aiston of Cumbria Police described Ward as a "dangerous man".Ward sent explicit sexual messages to what he believed was a minor
Court order
30 months
When he arrived, police officers arrested him and charged him with several offenses.He previously received a sexual harm prevention order following past convictions involving a minor.He was sentenced to 30 months for attempting to meet the child, nine months for failing to meet notification requirements, and nine months for breaching his sexual harm prevention order
