'Predatory' Portsmouth paedophile who persuaded man to sexually abuse toddler lived next to a primary school

Vile Luke Smith, of Hewett Road, North End, admitted to 13 child sex offences and has been imprisoned for 20 years.

The pervert posed as a 20-year-old woman under a pseudonym on an online messaging service to commit heinous acts.

Using the platform, Smith persuaded a man in the USA to sexually abuse his partner’s son – aged 20 months – on camera while he watched.

At the time of the abuse, Smith was living in Orchard Way, Barnham – with his property right next to Barnham Primary School.

The predator later moved to Hewett Road – which is next to Mayfield School and a street away from Cliffdale Primary Academy.

Detective Sergeant David Rose, from Sussex Police’s paedophile online investigation team, said: ‘Luke Smith is a predatory paedophile who thought he could hide by committing his crimes online while pretending to be a different gender and using a fake name.’

Police conducted an investigation with America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Deviant Smith was arrested after the sexual assaults were discovered by the victim’s mother, and has been jailed ever since.

Several devices were seized from Smith including his laptop and phone, from his former Barnham home.

Chat logs were found containing the dozens of requests Smith made for the victim to be abused.

The offences occurred between July 2018 and December 2019.

The 53-year-old appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on August 19 and admitted nine counts of encouraging the penetrative sexual assault of a child under 13 and four counts of making indecent images of children.

Some of these were classed as category A, reserved for the most extreme cases.

Smith was sentenced yesterday, and is now placed on the sex offenders register for life.

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DS Rose praised the FBI for its help and added: ‘Although Smith’s actions cannot be undone, we hope that his admission of guilt and long custodial sentence will bring some form of closure to the victim and his family.

‘His actions are amongst the most reprehensible the team have encountered, and I thank them for their strength and professionalism throughout the investigation.’