Cleveland police joint investigation leads to man being jailed for child sex offences

A man's been jailed for six years following a joint investigation by Cleveland Police and the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit.

Hassan Hussain, who's 20, targeted a child online who he believed was just 12, sending explicit images and attempting to arrange a meeting.

Even while on bail, he continued offending.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Barnes from the Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) said: “Hussain poses a significant risk to children and I’m pleased that he is now behind bars where he can’t cause any further harm.

“Despite being charged with child sex offences, he blatantly ignored conditions imposed on him and continued his predatory offending by targeting vulnerable children online.

“I hope this sends a strong message to anyone who commits these kind of crimes online that they are not invisible and we will ensure we do everything possible to bring them to justice.

“I’d encourage any child or young person who is concerned about someone they’re speaking to online, to tell someone about it or report it directly to the police.”

Temporary Detective Inspector Jo Sweeney from the NWROCU said: “This case shows just how determined our teams are when it comes to protecting children from online predators. These offenders think they can hide behind screens, but they’re not invisible - and we’ll keep doing everything we can to find them and stop them.”