January 2017 British paedophile jailed in US A paedophile who travelled to the US from Britain to have sex with boys has been sentenced to 13 years in a federal prison by a Los Angeles Court. Paul Charles Wilkins, 70, of Littleport, Cambridgeshire, flew to California in January 2016. He was caught in an undercover sting and faced several charges, but under a plea agreement pleaded guilty to taking pornographic images into the country. He was also ordered to pay a $25,000 (£20,400) fine. Wilkins, who holds dual UK and US citizenship, was jailed for 56 months in the UK in 2011 for possessing indecent images of children. He was on probation when he left the UK on 31 January last year, travelling to California to “engage in illicit sexual conduct” with two boys aged 10 and 12, US officials said. Wilkins had set up an online site enabling him to arrange to meet boys, and had made the journey to the US after a man apparently offered him sex with his two sons. When that plan failed to materialise, Wilkins fell prey to a sting operation set up by undercover agents. They contacted him via the online group administered by Wilkins, and used by people with a “sexual interest in children”. He paid one of the agents $250 (£204) for sex with a nine-year-old Mexican boy in Palm Springs. But the boy did not exist and Wilkins was arrested on 11 February after handing over the money for his “share” in the child. Wilkins initially denied four charges of travelling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, attempted sex trafficking of children, possession of child pornography and transportation of child pornography. In September he pleaded guilty to the latter charge under a plea agreement with the US Attorney’s Office. “This defendant persistently engaged in the sexual exploitation of children,” said United States Attorney Eileen M Decker. “Today’s sentence ensures that children will be protected from his abhorrent conduct for many years.” February 2016 Convicted paedophile accused of travelling to America to engage in sex with boys A Littleport man – jailed in this country in 2011 for child sex offences – faces life in prison in America after being charged with trying to engage in sex with 10 and 12 year-old boys. A federal grand jury this week indicted Paul Charles Wilkins, 70, with one count of travelling to the USA with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and one count of attempted sex trafficking of children. American newspaper reports explain that the sex trafficking allegation arose after Wilkins allegedly brokered a deal to pay $250 to have sex with a nine-year-old boy at a rented apartment. “My office is committed to protecting children from predators – whether the predators are foreign or domestic,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “When this defendant’s original plan was thwarted, he made other arrangements to sexually abuse a child. He must be held accountable for these crimes.” Under American law Wilkins will now be arraigned (brought before a court) on March 4. On the first count, if found guilty, American law allows for a sentence of up to 30 years. On the child trafficking offence, if proven, the maximum sentence is life without parole. The investigation was carried out by agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Media reports in the States say that Wilkins – who holds dual British and American nationality-, told his probation officer before leaving England he was going house hunting in the States. In 2011 a judge at Cambridge Crown Court described the offences committed in this country by Wilkins as “one of the worst” involving child sex he had encountered. Wilkins, of High Street, Littleport, who had been a volunteer both at Ely Cathedral and with the Salvation Army, was jailed for 56 months. He admitted being in possession of thousands of indecent images of children. In total he faced 16 charges dating from 2006 to 2010. Among the images with 54 at level 5, this included 37 films, which are rated as the most severe. Judge Gareth Hawkesworth told Wilkins: “It’s one of the worst cases this court has experienced. “You have been able to place yourself in a fantasy world and in which you have abandoned any moral sense whatsoever. “It is perfectly plain that you are entrenched in this.” The judge ordered Wilkins to serve at least half the 56 month sentence and said that upon his release he would be on licence for the remainder. The licence was also extended for a further four years “for public protection”. March 2014: Wilkins has now been released from prison. He continues to show absolute no remorse for his conviction. November 2011 Jail for ‘fantasy world’ man who kept depraved images Cathedral volunteer Paul Wilkins is behind bars for possessing and distributing thousands of horrific pornographic images and films featuring children as young as nine months. The grandfather’s offences were branded “one of the worst” child sex cases that Cambridge Crown Court had ever seen by Judge Gareth Hawkesworth. Wilkins, 65, who volunteered at Ely Cathedral and the Salvation Army, was appearing for sentencing. He had previously admitted being in possession of thousands of images and videos that ranged from level 1 to level 5 on the Sentencing Advisory Panel scale – level 1 is the least serious, level 5 the most horrific. He also admitted taking part in online fantasies about abusing children. Sara Walker, prosecuting, said the images and videos were found when police raided his home last year and found trays containing a total of 1,000 VHS tapes. The 16 charges he faced dated from May 2006 to August 10, 2010 and included 1,940 images at level 1 – of those there were 40 films. These would have included child nudity or erotic posing. A further 551 images were at level 2 including 95 films, 1,253 at level 3 including 112 films and 1,738 level 4 images including 520 films. There were also 54 images at level 5, of which 37 were films. This is the most severe level, involving bestiality and sadism. The total was 5,536 images, of which 804 were films. The images involved children from nine months to teenagers. He distributed 2,030 images and 546 films by allowing other paedophiles to access his computer via child porn websites. Wilkins, of High Street, Littleport, near Ely, told other paedophiles that he had sexually assaulted children and he encouraged others to do likewise. Gregory Perrins, mitigating, said: “He has accepted that this is a distressing, shocking and worrying case. “This is a man who has two great differences to his personality. “Some people say he is a good neighbour and good friend.” Wilkins claimed that a waterbed and video camera set up in his house was used for consensual adult sex rather than for sexually abusing children, saying he had never done that, said Mr Perrins. Judge Hawkesworth told Wilkins: “It’s one of the worst cases this court has experienced. “You have been able to place yourself in a fantasy world and in which you have abandoned any moral sense whatsoever. “It is perfectly plain that you are entrenched in this.” Wilkins was given an extended jail sentence of 56 months, of which he will have to serve half, released on licence for the remainder of the sentence plus a further four years on licence for public protection. Extended sentences are given to offenders found guilty of violent or sexual offences. Wilkins will also be subject to a sexual offences prevention order.