Three South Yorkshire sex offenders jailed after undercover police catch them trying to contact children

Three men, who believed they were speaking to children online, have been jailed this month for child sex offences.

Mark Priest, 39, of Haggstones Road, Sheffield, was jailed for three years and nine months at Sheffield Crown Court on May 17, for several offences.

They include three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, three counts of attempting to cause a child aged under 13 to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity, engaging in sexual communication with a child, inciting a child to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity, and inciting a child to engage in penetrative sexual activity.

In each of these offences, Priest believed he was communicating with the profile of a real child online, but was in fact speaking with undercover police.

Andrew Spinks, aged 45, from Warmsworth, Doncaster, was speaking online with a profile he believed to be a young girl on April 4 and 10, sending messages of a sexual nature.

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Officers from South Yorkshire Police’s Internet Sexual Offences Team, who were behind the false profile, executed a warrant at his address on April 18 and he was arrested.

Spinks was jailed for 16 months at Sheffield Crown Court on May 13, for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Timothy Newberry, 33, of Reresby Park Close, Rotherham, was convicted of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and attempting to cause a child under the age of 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity.

He also believed he was communicating with a child when he committed the offences in June 2023.

He was sentenced to three years and six months in prison at Sheffield Crown Court on May 20.

Detective Constable Spencer Lodge said: “Our officers have worked hard over several months to collect the evidence required to see these three criminals locked up.

“It is not always an easy job, but the protection of the young children who could fall victim to these predators if they are not caught always remains at the forefront of our minds.

“I am delighted that three sex offenders have been taken off the streets, but we will continue this vital work to ensure children in South Yorkshire, and across the country, are kept safe from those who would do them harm.”