DURSLEY MAN MARTIN SMITH SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Dursley and the surrounding areas, Martin Smith, a 40-year-old resident of Olive Green in Dursley, has been convicted and sentenced for a series of heinous child sex offences. The case, which unfolded over several years, culminated in Smith’s arrest and subsequent sentencing at Gloucester Crown Court, highlighting the severity of his crimes and the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat such offenses.

Smith’s criminal activities came to light after an extensive police operation that involved an undercover officer, who went by the alias ‘Sadie’. Posing as a mother willing to offer her young children for sexual acts, the officer engaged in online conversations with Smith, who was lured into exchanging texts and emails. During these exchanges, Smith expressed a willingness to travel from Dursley to Essex, where ‘Sadie’ claimed to reside, or to meet halfway in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, with the intent of engaging in sexual activities involving her supposed children, including her seven-year-old daughter.

Authorities acted swiftly once Smith’s intentions became clear. Despite his efforts to conceal his identity by using false names and creating a misleading digital trail, police managed to trace his IP address. This led to a dawn raid on his home at 7 a.m. on April 13 of this year. During the search, officers seized two computer towers, which contained hundreds of indecent images of children. Prosecutor Richard Posner revealed that some of these images had been distributed internationally, including to an individual in America.

Smith ultimately pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including the possession of a staggering 732 indecent images of children between August 2010 and April 2017, and an additional 222 images within the same period. He also admitted to distributing 21 indecent images of pre-pubescent girls aged between 2 and 11 to an American contact between April and August 2015. Further, he acknowledged distributing another 18 indecent images, some of which he had taken himself, between February and April of this year. Additionally, Smith confessed to taking indecent photographs of a child between September and December 2015 and attempting to facilitate or arrange a child sex offence involving a girl under 13, with the intent to penetrate her, between February and April this year.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Smith had used a Russian-operated photo hosting website under the pseudonym ‘Liking Little 3’. His profile depicted an adult woman kissing a young boy, and he uploaded images titled ‘My Cute Girl’ and ‘Cute Girl 2’, which depicted young girls and focused on genital areas. On February 27 this year, the undercover officer ‘Sadie’ was contacted by Smith, who expressed interest in girls aged four and above. He sent her images of a seven-year-old girl he had photographed himself and asked if she wanted to see something more explicit.

Smith’s disturbing conversations revealed his desire to engage in penetrative sexual acts with ‘Sadie’ and her children. He stated he wanted to travel to Essex to carry out these acts, believing she was there. As police tracked his location, they prepared for his arrest. In one exchange, Smith admitted to knowing that his attraction to children was wrong but claimed he could not help himself. He recounted an incident where he felt ‘good’ lifting a seven-year-old girl onto a fence, describing it as a moment he struggled to control his excitement over.

He also disclosed that his employment as a school bus driver allowed him to interact with children, which he found sexually stimulating, particularly pre-pubescent girls. Ironically, Smith expressed that meeting ‘Sadie’ was too good to be true because he feared being caught and losing everything, including his freedom.

When arrested, Smith told his wife that he loved her as police took him into custody. During police interviews, he made no further comments. Judge Jamie Tabor QC emphasized the seriousness of his offences, stating that an immediate custodial sentence was necessary. Consequently, Smith was sentenced to three years in prison. The court also imposed a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and a lifetime requirement for him to register as a sex offender, underscoring the gravity of his crimes and the community’s need for protection.