A Scarborough man who targeted children through social media for sexual gratification has been jailed.
Oliver James Anglesmith, 37, currently remanded in prison, pleaded guilty to four counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child during May 2024, and one charge of failing to comply with the notification requirements under the Sex Offenders Register.
He appeared at York Crown Court on 14 February 2025 where he was sentenced to four years and four months in jail. He was also issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until further order. This means that restrictions will be imposed on him relating to his use of the internet and devices such as mobile phones and computers.
The investigation was able to show that Anglesmith deliberately targeted children’s chatrooms and SnapChat posing as a young person. He was arrested after police received a call from the concerned parents of a child in another part of the country who had been targeted by him.
As the investigation progressed, North Yorkshire Police’s Victim Identification Unit were able to identify several other children who were from various parts of the UK.
Thankfully some of the children saw though him and his lewd conversations and did not engage with him. But he managed to persuade some to send naked and sexualised images to him. If they refused he threatened to harm himself.
In police interviews he claimed that the victims had told him they were 16, but no evidence of that was found.
He breached his Sex Offenders Register notification requirements by failing to register a mobile phone with the police.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable Steve Monty of Scarborough’s Safeguarding Investigation Team, said:
“Anglesmith was particularly manipulative and used emotional blackmail in an attempt to trick the children into sending sexual images of themselves.
“He made up a fictitious emotional story to gain their initial attention and befriend them, then threatened to cause serious harm to himself if they refused to do what he asked. He is an online predator who is now rightfully back behind bars.
“My thanks go to the vigilant parents who reported the abuse of their children and to our Victim Identification Unit who identified victims from all parts of the UK.”
If you are concerned about yours or someone else’s interest in children you can get help from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, For anonymous support and advice, use the Stop It Now! helpline on 0808 1000 900 or visit https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/helpline/ to find out more.
The charities, groups and organisations below can provide information and support.
- Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre
The national police agency for tackling offenders who use the internet to groom and abuse children. - Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Education
An education programme providing training, resources and information for children and young people (aged 4 to 18), their families and professionals who work with them. - Get Safe Online
Free and impartial security advice on how to stay safe online and protect your internet-connected devices. - Remove Report
Young people under 18 can report sexual images and videos of themselves and get them removed from the internet. This won't affect any police investigations. The service is run by Childline.
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