June 2014 Man jailed for grooming and exploiting five under-age girls on Facebook A TORPOINT man has been jailed for four years after admitting he groomed and sexually exploited five under-age girls. Louis Ryan, from Cedar Drive, appeared at Truro Crown Court last week where he was sentenced by Judge Harvey Clark QC after he pleaded guilty to 11 counts. The 22-year-old entered guilty pleas to four counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, two counts of meeting a child under 16 following sexual grooming, one count of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and one count of causing a child to watch a sexual act. He also admitted charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, making an indecent photograph of a child and distributing an indecent image. The charges relate to five victims aged under 16, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and are said to have happened between January to June, last year. The court heard Ryan had contacted hundreds of girls via social networking sites, and had used a tried and tested approach to befriend them and converse with them. Over time he began to make sexual suggestions and send images and videos of himself. Investigators learned that he had gone to meet two of the girls – both aged under 16 – on separate occasions. He made one girl watch him perform a sexual act and one girl he encouraged to perform a sexual act on him. Judge Clark QC said Ryan was a “persistent and perverted” offender who would pose a “significant risk of serious harm in the future”. He sentenced Ryan to a total of four years and granted a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which prohibited him from “associating, engaging or talking with any child or young person under the age of 16 years in any public or private place, to include the internet” until the order was lifted. Ryan was also made to sign onto the Sex Offenders Register until further ordered. Lead investigator Det Con Darren White, of Devon and Cornwall Police’s Child Exploitation Unit, said after the hearing: “The law clearly states the age of consent for sexual activity is 16 years. “The law is there to protect young people, especially those who are vulnerable to exploitation.  Louis Ryan, over a significant time period systematically sought out, befriended and then exploited young females for his own sexual gratification. “He threw his net out and we found he had contacted and befriended hundreds of girls over that period, using a number of different social networking sites. “He would identify young females through these sites and begin communications to achieve his desire for sexual gratification. “The sentence passed by the court reflects the seriousness of his actions.” “Devon and Cornwall Police are committed to the investigation of child exploitation offences. “We would encourage anyone who fears they may be victim of this kind of exploitation to come forward and they will be supported by police.”  May 2014 Torpoint man has admitted 12 counts of sexual offences against five underage girls At Truro Crown Court on Friday, Louis Ryan, 22 years old of Cedar Drive, entered guilty pleas to three counts of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, four of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and two of causing a child to watch a sexual act. He also admitted charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, making an indecent photograph of a child and distributing an indecent image. The charges relate to five victims aged under 16 and offences are said to have happened between January and June, last year. The case was adjourned for the preparation of a pre-sentence report by the probation service and Ryan was granted conditional bail to appear before the court for sentence on June 13.