A MAN travelled almost 150 miles to Chippenham with the intention of sexually abusing a young girl.

Pawel Suszczynski thought he was messaging the mother of a young girl in August and September last year, and outlined in “graphic and disturbing detail” what his intentions were to the mother.

He then drove 145 miles from his home in Essex to Chippenham, where he thought he was meeting the girl and her mother, but was actually confronted by police officers who arrested him.

The 28-year-old, formerly of Stirling Close in Rainham, admitted arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence and distributing indecent photographs of children in December, and was sentenced to four and a half years behind bars on Wednesday.

During the investigation, by South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) and Wiltshire Police, there was never a real life victim and no children were ever in any danger.

Child Internet Exploitation Officer Charlotte Mason of Wiltshire Police said: “We are dedicated to preventing those intent on causing harm to vulnerable children within our communities.

“We continue to work closely with the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit to identify and investigate people like Suszczynski and ensure we bring them to court.

“Sentences like this hopefully alert people to the risk and threat there is on the internet and we’d urge parents and guardians to ensure any internet use by children is monitored closely.

“We also hope this serves as a warning to those causing harm to children that we will find you and you will be prosecuted.”

Detective Inspector David Wells from the SWROCU said: “Suszczynski’s intentions were highly disturbing, attempting to groom a woman online in order to get access to her daughter for his own sexual interests.

“Thankfully, due to the expertise of our team in identifying him and the threat he posed, together with the diligent investigation by colleagues at Wiltshire Police, no child was harmed and he has been prevented from carrying out his depraved intentions.

“This is vital work, identifying offenders who use the internet to directly groom children, share indecent images of children, and, as in this case, attempt to arrange access to children to abuse.  Law enforcement agencies are across the internet determined to ensure they don’t succeed.  It is vital parents and children themselves take steps to protect against the threat.”

During the sentencing hearing, Suszczynski was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and given a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).