A 75-year-old man has been jailed for two child sex offences.
Geoffrey Restrick, of Whitehaven, was jailed for 29 months for attempting sexual communication with a child and arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.
Restrick was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same term.
Cumbria police’s cyber and digital crime unit and the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit arrested three other men this week after a joint operation.
Another of the suspects, who is already a registered sex offender following the commission of a similar offence previously, was charged with attempt sexual communication with a child as well as a breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He was remanded in custody following his arrest.
Two further suspects – a 43-year-old man from Cleator Moor and a 51-year-old man from Longtown – were arrested and released on conditional bail while investigations continue.
In each case, the defendants thought they were communicating with a young child, but it was actually an undercover police officer.
Detective Inspector Fiona Gray, of the Cyber and Digital Crime Unit, said: “We work closely with our partners at the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit and have a range of tools at our disposal to identify those who pose a risk of sexual harm to children and bring them to justice.
“Let this be a warning to anyone who has, or is considering communicating with children sexually, that you will face the full force of the law. You must also consider the consequences for your family, friends and employment.”
