Adam Matthew Weeks, aged 25, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday 17 February to be sentenced after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to two charges of sexual assault of a child under 13, four offences of taking indecent images of a child, six charges of making indecent photographs of a child and two counts of causing of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He was sentenced to eight years in prison and will also serve an extended licence period of a further four years.

Weeks had previously been sentenced at Manchester Crown Court in May 2022 for indecent image offences and was given a 16-month jail term, suspended for two years. He was also made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

On Tuesday 26 July 2022 he attended an appointment with his probation officer and offender manager in Bournemouth and handed his phone over for examination, which was part of the requirement of his SHPO.

On his phone, they found a significant number of indecent images of young children as well as photographs and videos of the defendant sexually abusing a young child.

Weeks was arrested and officers from Dorset Police carried out searches of his home address, seizing a number of digital devices.

Examination of these devices uncovered further indecent images as well as evidence of online communication with a child aged around nine from America. The chat history showed the defendant encouraging the child to engage in sexual activity on camera in exchange for money.

The authorities in America were notified and Weeks was subsequently charged with offences relating to both child victims.

Detective Constable Steve Cartwright, of Dorset Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team, said: “Adam Weeks was a convicted sex offender who continued to subject young children to despicable sexual abuse for his own gratification.

“Through our investigation we were able to expose his offending and ensure he was held to account for his actions.

“Offending of this nature often has a devastating and lifelong impact on the child victims involved and we remain committed to identifying those involved in these horrific crimes and bringing them before the courts.”