Man jailed for child sex offences

A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to over two-and-a-half years in prison following several child sex offences.

Jordan Sanders of Hilly Fields, Welwyn Garden City, pleaded guilty to arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, and was sentenced at St Albans Crown Court to 32 months behind bars last Friday (19 January).

Sanders had also pleaded guilty to two counts of making an indecent photograph/pseudo photograph of a child, and was sentenced to one month in prison for each offence, to be served concurrently.

The offences, which were against a girl aged 13, took place between 19 September and 25 September, 2021.

After officers searched Sanders’ devices, they discovered 13 Category B images, and two Category C images. He had been communicating with the teenage girl via Facebook, and had arranged to meet her.

In addition to his sentence, Sanders was added to the sex offenders register placed under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

Detective Sergeant Ayodeji Afolabi, who led the investigation, said: “Jordan Sanders was 20 years old at the time of these deliberate and planned offences, and continued to contact the victim despite knowing she was only 13.

“I hope this result shows that we will take proactive action against anyone who targets vulnerable young people.

“Becoming a victim of sexual offences is never your fault. If you’ve been a victim, no matter how long ago the offence occurred, please report it. We have specialist officers on hand to provide advice and support throughout an investigation. The constabulary also has a number of officers who are specially trained to provide support to members of the LGBT+ community.”

Anyone in Hertfordshire who has experienced sexual abuse or sexual violence can contact Herts SARC for practical and emotional support. The centre can arrange face-to-face support, sexual health referrals, and provide forensic medical examinations for those who want them. To contact Herts SARC, call the 24/7 helpline on 0808 178 4448, email or visit the Herts SARC website (opens in new window). 

The Halo team specifically investigates child sexual exploitation. It proactively targets and disrupts those who are sexually exploiting young people and works with intelligence teams to safeguard those most at risk and bring perpetrators to justice.

If you suspect a person of carrying out child sexual exploitation, or think someone you know has been a victim, or may be soon, visit our How to report possible child abuse web page or call our non-emergency number, 101. If someone is in immediate danger of harm, please call 999.

Meanwhile, Beacon is Hertfordshire’s Victim Care Centre and is staffed by professionals from both Hertfordshire Constabulary and Catch 22, an independent organisation commissioned to support victims of crime in Hertfordshire. For more information on how to contact Beacon in the strictest confidence, visit Beacon's website (opens in new window).