Judge warns paedophile who abused children and had indecent images poses 'high risk' to children
A 'dangerous' paedophile who poses a 'high risk to children' has been locked up.
Michael Cook, 24, was jailed at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to 12 sexual offences, which had taken place over a five-year period – some while he was already on police bail.
Judge Laura Hobson said she believed Cook met the description of a "dangerous offender", saying: "In my judgement there is a risk you will commit further offences against children."
The court heard Cook, from Harlescott, Shrewsbury, had admitted offences of physical abuse of a young child, possession of indecent images of children, and attempting to arrange a child sex offence.
Cook had first come to the attention of police in 2018.
Simon Parry, prosecuting, said that a mother, who was living in the north of England, had become concerned about who her 12-year-old daughter was speaking to on her phone.
She asked for the assistance of her brother who looked at the phone and found the girl had a Snapchat contact listed under the name 'boyfriend', with a message saying 'hey beautiful' signed off with a 'x'.
Pretending to be his niece, the uncle messaged the profile, which belonged to Cook, and asked if he wanted to meet up.
During the discussion it was explicitly stated that the girl was 12 years old.
Cook said he did want to meet, would arrange a location, and asked about providing condoms.
When sex was discussed Cook said: "Yes if that's what you want. If not we can stop."
Cook was later arrested by police after he uploaded an indecent image of a child onto social media.
When police searched his phone they found thousands of indecent images of children.
In total there were more than 28,000 images police did not even review, having categorised around 1,400 illegal images – some of the most serious kind.
The court was told they involved female children between the ages of one and 14 – with the bulk of the images containing children between eight and 11 years old.
Following a second arrest for later, more serious, physical sexual offences against a child, police again found hundreds of indecent images of children on Cook's phone.
Debra White, mitigating, said Cook had been 'brave' in admitting that he has a sexual interest in children, and wanted to help to "understand fully why he has those feelings and emotions".
She said: "He did the best thing he could do when things got to this point and that was to plead guilty. That is his best mitigation."
She added: "He knows that whatever it is is completely wrong, completely unacceptable and not something he should be engaging in, and he wants to understand fully why it is he has those feelings and emotions."
She continued: "That, your honour, is a brave admission because there are many people who come before this court who do not accept they have a sexual interest in children."
Ms White said it would allow for efforts to make sure Cook does not re-offend.
Sentencing, Judge Hobson said authors of a pre-sentence report had described how Cook poses an "ongoing risk of re-offending", and "poses a high risk to children".
She said: "In my judgement there is a risk you will commit further offences against children."
She added: "I believe you meet the description of a dangerous offender."
In total Cook admitted six counts of making indecent images of a child, one count of arranging a child sex offence, four charges of sexual assault on a child, and another charge of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Cook was jailed for a total of ten years, and told to serve 13 years on licence.
He was also made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order barring him from being in contact with children, and allowing for his internet use to be monitored.
He will also be added to the sex offenders' register for life.