Man who groomed girls locked up for four years

HE SENT EXPLICIT MESSAGES TO UNDERAGE GIRLS ASKING THEM FOR IMAGES

- By MARTIN NAYLOR

A MAN who groomed three young girls, after befriending them online, has been jailed for more than four years.

Derby Crown Court heard how Richard Jackson, of West Hallam near Ilkeston, sent sexually explicit messages to the underage girls, encouraging them to engage in sexual activity and to share images of themselves.

During an investigation into the 41-year-old’s illegal behaviour, officers found numerous graphic Snapchat messages he sent to one of the girls, where the defendant implied he knew that she was only 14 and stated that he was “willing to wait.”