A 30-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for child sex offences after being caught by undercover police officers.

Christopher Bonner-Morgan, of Lee Road in Nelson was jailed following a hearing at Preston Crown Court on Monday.

Bonner-Morgan had been engaging in sexual conversation with who he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. However, ‘the girl’ was an undercover police officer.

He was arrested in October last year following an investigation by police.

Detectives from the police's online child abuse investigation team raided his address seizing a number of items, including his mobile phone and laptop.

A number of indecent images were discovered, including pictures of Bonner-Morgan sexually assaulting a child.

He was charged and later pleaded guilty to offences of sexual activity with a child, taking indecent images of children, possessing indecent images of children, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Bonner-Morgan was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison and issued with an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Det Con Shaun Juriansz said: “Christopher Bonner-Morgan is a predatory individual who committed a number of vile and abhorrent offences.

“His offending included sexually assaulting a child, engaging in sexual conversations with who he believed to be a 13-year-old girl and possession of indecent images, including some pictures of the highest grading.

“I am pleased he has been brought to justice and he will now be in prison for a significant period of time.

“If anyone has been the victim of a sexual offence, I would urge them to come forward and report it to us in the knowledge that we take all reports seriously and ensure that victims are treated sensitively and professionally at all times.”

If you have concerns about online sexual behaviour or the behaviour of someone you know, the Lucy Faithfull Foundation (LFF) is the only UK-wide charity dedicated solely to tackling child sexual abuse, taking a preventive approach to stop it happening in the first place or stop it happening again.

For more information go to www.lancashire.police.uk/campaigns/lucy-faithfull-foundation-tackling-child-abuse or call 0808 1000 900