MARK CRAMPTON SENTENCED IN GUILDFORD FOR SEX OFFENCES INVOLVING CHILD TARGETS
A man described as a "dangerous sexual predator" has been sentenced to prison after undercover police officers lured him into believing he was meeting a teenage girl for sex at Guildford Cathedral.Mark Crampton, 57, of Richmond-upon-Thames, was sentenced to 44 months in prison after pleading guilty to several charges, including arranging to meet a person he believed was a child for sex.
He also admitted to facilitating a child sex offence, attempting to meet a girl under 16 through grooming, and two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with an underage girl.
Crampton was arrested following a period of communication with two undercover officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit, which took place between April 18 and May 21, 2020.
On April 18, he sent a private message to what he believed was a 13-year-old girl.
Over the course of the interactions, he exchanged sexually explicit messages via Kik Messenger.
His arrest came on May 21 when he was found on the grounds of Guildford Cathedral, intending to carry out sexual acts with the individual he thought was a child.
Surrey Police revealed that Crampton had traveled to Guildford Cathedral the day before to assess where he could conduct the sexual activity.
Following his arrest by Surrey Police officers on suspicion of arranging or facilitating a child sex offence, Crampton faced justice.
During his sentencing hearing at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, March 5, he was also issued an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Detective Constable Steve Branch, who led the investigation, commented: "The sentence and the indefinite SHPO given to Crampton highlight the seriousness of his offending and ensure that a dangerous sexual predator is now behind bars and cannot pose a threat to vulnerable teenagers." He added, "Crampton communicated with who he believed was a teenage girl for several weeks, and these messages were extremely sexual in nature, culminating in an attempt to meet her for sex.
This case demonstrates our dedication to targeting sex offenders within our communities and holding them accountable for their reprehensible actions." Detective Inspector Lisa Heaton from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit stated: "The arrest of Crampton was part of a proactive, intelligence-led investigation into child sexual offences.
Protecting children from sexual exploitation remains a top priority, and law enforcement is committed to pursuing individuals who use the internet to facilitate abuse." She encouraged victims of child sexual abuse to report incidents to their local police via 101.
"We will thoroughly investigate all allegations, and law enforcement agencies work together to bring offenders to justice.
Victims can speak confidentially with trained investigators and access a range of support services," she said.
