Paedophile who travelled to Hampshire to pay for child sex abuse is jailed

Matthew Millen, of Hall Park Avenue, Westcliff-on-sea in Essex, was snared by police after two weeks of online communication between March 1 and 14, 2019.

During that period he arranged to pay for the sexual abuse of an 11-year-old girl, and was arrested when he travelled from Essex to Southampton on March 14.

The 44-year-old was charged in June 2019, following the investigation by the South East Regional Crime Unit (Serocu).

In this case, there was never a real life victim and no children were in any danger.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Colin Haynes of Serocu, said: ‘This was a particularly distressing case where Millen thought he was paying for the sexual services of a child that was only 11 years old.

‘During the trial, Millen said he was attempting to expose other people involved in sexual exploitation, this was seen as a fabrication by the jury and he has been found guilty of these offences himself.

“This shows the lengths of depravity that Millen would go to in an attempt to conduct child sex abuse.

“This was a successful pro-active operation led by South East Regional Crime Unit officers, who have worked tirelessly to ensure Millen would be brought to justice.

On Friday December 4, Millen was sentenced to three years in prison.

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Det Sgt Haynes added: ‘Protecting children from sexual exploitation is a continued priority of Serocu and we will keep bringing those suspected of being involved in these offences through the courts.

‘If you have any suspicions about behaviour of this nature or you have been the victim of child sex abuse, please report it to your local police force by calling 101 rather than taking your own action.

‘You can also make a report to the independent charity Crimestoppers, and remain 100 per cent anonymous by calling 0800 555 111.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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