Man jailed for having extreme images and attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child

A man who had thousands of sickening images on his mobile phone and tried to engage in sexual activity with a child has been jailed.

Kevin Astbury, from Central Grove, Rudheath appeared at Chester Crown Court to be sentenced on 21 February after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to possession of extreme pornographic images and images portraying assault by penetration, attempting to cause or incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, being an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and being an adult meeting a girl under 16 years of age following grooming.

The 65-year-old was sentenced to three years and four months in prison. He was also subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and will be on the sex offenders register for life.

Astbury came to the attention of police after paedophile hunters began messaging him under the guise of being a 13-year-old girl. He continued to engage in sexualised communication with the ‘girl’ between 22 June and 9 July 2022.

He arranged to meet her but changed plans at the last minute. The group attended his home and confronted him as well as alerting police.

Astbury was arrested, and his digital devices seized.

DC Kelly Mitchell said:

“When we interrogated the devices we were appalled to find 3,755 extreme and sickening images involving animals. The vile images accumulated between 2015 and 2022 was vast and extremely offensive.

“This and his attempts to communicate and incite what he thought was a child into performing sexual acts is not only criminal but unfathomable and truly shocking.

“I’m pleased to see that Astbury is now going to be serving time for his warped behaviour.”