Man and woman jailed for plotting child sexual offences in Shropshire
Shrewsbury court convicts pair for attempted child exploitation
A man and woman have been sentenced for planning child sexual offences in Shropshire, as revealed by a police investigation.
Christopher Brownhill, 38, from Bridgnorth, was jailed for 11 years, and a woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, received a six-year custodial sentence following their conviction for arranging child sex offences.
The investigation demonstrated that the woman offered her baby daughter to Brownhill, whom she met via an online dating site in 2017, for sexual exploitation.
The court heard that throughout their conversations, they expressed mutual sexual interest in young children.
While the pair never physically met, their disturbing communications continued online, including discussing abusive plans involving the woman's daughter, who was one year old at the time.
Charges followed a police investigation based on intelligence received, leading to arrests in 2019.
Both were found guilty earlier this year after a two-week trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
The investigation also uncovered Brownhill’s intentions involving another woman and her one-year-old twin nieces.
Additionally, both defendants received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and are mandated to register on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
West Mercia Police emphasised the seriousness of the offences and reiterated their commitment to protecting children from exploitation and abuse, both online and offline.
The officer leading the investigation said:
“This case concerns extremely serious offences involving the exploitation of a child, and both defendants demonstrated a clear intent to facilitate harm."
The officer commended the efforts of those involved in the investigation and urged the public to report any concerns regarding child exploitation to safeguard vulnerable victims.