March 2013 March man groomed underage girls A man from March who groomed underage girls online has been made subject of a sexual offences prevention order. Richard Chalmers (26), of New Park, March, befriended teenagers on social networking sites before sending them explicit messages. However, the girls alerted their parents and schools. In January and February, 2011, he sent messages to a 13-year-old, commenting about pictures of her in her school uniform. He was arrested in August, that year, and questioned about the messages. Then, at the start of 2012, he began sending messages to a 14-year-old. Chalmers had already been investigated after sending messages to a 13-year-old in 2009. Officers also discovered indecent images on his computer. He pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent photographs and two charges of inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity. Two further charges of attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming were ordered to lie on his file. At Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday (February 28), he was sentenced to a two-year community order with specialist sex offender treatment and given a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order which bans him from: unsupervised contact with girls under 16, using the internet to contact any girls under 16 and using any device capable of accessing the internet unless it records his browsing history. Police will also be able to check his computer and any device capable of storing digital images. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register. Det Cons Tade Toseland said: “Chalmers befriended these young girls online. He was fully aware of their age as he made reference to their school uniforms, and tried to take advantage of their vulnerability. “Thankfully the victims did not agree to meet up with him and alerted their parents or schoolteachers. “We would always encourage parents to notify police if they suspect their child has been contacted by older people online.”