May 2017 Paedophile jailed after being caught out in police sting A ‘DANGEROUS’ paedophile has been jailed after being caught out in an undercover police sting. Lee Jowett, 37, of Lonlay Mews, Stogursey, was jailed at Taunton Crown Court today (Friday, May 26) after he believed he had arranged to sexually abuse a 10-year-old girl with her mother – but was actually liaising with an undercover police officer. Judge David Evans said Jowett had felt entrenched paedophilic desires for many years and admitted having a sexual interest in girls as young as five. The court heard Jowett had downloaded indecent images of children over a number of years, before seeking out ‘like-minded depraved individuals’ on internet chatrooms. William Hunter, prosecuting, said it was in one of these chatrooms an undercover police officer, acting on information, engaged Jowett in conversation, purporting to be the single mother of two children, one of which was a 10-year-old girl. Over a number of weeks Jowett disclosed he was ‘into little girls’ and liked ‘rough sex’ and sent explicit images to the supposed mother and talked in graphic detail about how he would like to abuse the girl, the court was told. “He arranged a meeting with the mother on April 13, 2015, and planned to meet her at a service station on the M4 with the expressed intent of heading off to sexually abuse the 10-year-old girl,” Mr Hunter said. Jowett got ‘cold feet’ and ceased communication a week before the meet up was due to take place, and was arrested on the morning of April 13. His laptop and work phone were seized and upon investigation hundreds of images of child sexual abuse were found, including a number of the most extreme category, as well as evidence of other incriminating conversations in internet chatrooms. Jowett shook in the dock as he was addressed by Judge David Evans at Taunton Crown Court. Judge Evans said: “The images you have downloaded involve the appalling abuse of real children by adults. You sought out other like-minded depraved individuals here and abroad to discuss your desires with. “On these chatrooms you expressed desires to rape pre-pubescent children. You sold yourself to one correspondent as someone who had actual experience of abusing children but you have told the court that is not true. “To another correspondent you expressed an interest in photographing pre-pubescent children and even told her of your arousal when thinking about your neighbours’ nine-month old baby.” Sentencing Judge Evans said: “You were convinced that the mother and her 10-year-old daughter were genuine, and you told the supposed mother that you had experience in this field. “I want to be clear – this was not just fantasy to you. You intended to go to that service station with the intent to rape that girl. But you got cold feet, and with just a week to go until the meet up you ceased communication. “I have no doubt whatsoever that you are a dangerous paedophile. By admitting your guilt and engaging with therapy you have already taken steps toward recovery but these are just the first tiny steps on a long road.” Jowett was sentenced to a total of three years and four months in prison; 32 months for arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and eight months for the possession of indecent images of children. March 2017 Man who arranged for child to be sexually abused can expect long jail term warns judge A Stogursey man who plotted sexual attacks against a young child has been warned he is facing a lengthy jail term. Lee Jowett, 38, of Lonlay Mews, appeared before Taunton Crown Court today to admit one charge of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence between June 22, 2015 and April 14, 2015. He also admitted being in possession of indecent images of children but denied charges of possessing an extreme pornographic image, possessing prohibited images of children and publishing an extreme article, which were all ordered to lie on file. Judge David Ticehurst adjourned the hearing so a pre-sentence report could be prepared, but warned Jowett he should expect a lengthy prison sentence. He also ordered him to sign the sex offender’s register. He will be back before the court for sentencing on May 9, and in the meantime was released on bail.