Horsham man jailed for online child exploitation

Laurence Harvey, of Searles View in Horsham, is an online predator who paid £46,467 to individuals in the Philippines linked to child sexual exploitation between September 2, 2011, and August 9, 2021. Harvey engaged in direct communication with children, asking them to perform sexual acts. On one occasion, he sent money to a woman claiming it was for charitable purposes or to adults he met online in exchange for online sex acts. He also sent money to a woman for indecent images of a child she claimed was her daughter. Harvey was arrested in May 2022, and devices containing sexual images and communications with children were seized. He was charged with multiple offenses, including arranging child sex offenses, possession and making indecent photographs of children, and arranging the sexual exploitation of a child under 13. Harvey pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on August 6 to 56 months in prison. Additionally, he received a ten-year sexual harm prevention order to restrict digital device use, internet access, and travel to the Philippines. Detective Sergeant David Rose described him as a dangerous individual who sought to exploit children and showed no regard for the harm caused. The investigation was carried out by the Online Child Abuse Team, resulting in his incarceration and removal from the community.