Man sentenced to two years and three months in prison for sexual communication with a child

A man has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison for sexual communication with a child.

Appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday 23 April, Reice John Wills, 27, of Shearer Road, Fratton, was sentenced for attempting to cause or incite a child under 13 years to engage in sexual activity, which he pleaded guilty to.

As well as a 27 month prison sentence, Wills will also be on the Sex Offenders’ Register and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years.

The court heard how a suspicious interaction with Wills led officers to seize his phone on January 18 2021.

A subsequent investigation uncovered numerous sexualised conversations with children believed to be under 13.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Heather Hudson said: “Protecting children from exploitation is one of the most important missions we, the police, have.

“This is an example of effective proactive policing and I would like to thank all those involved in this case, whose hard work has resulted in a potentially dangerous offender being brought to justice.

“I also hope this sentence will alert others to the dangers of the digital world and also encourage any victim of child sexual abuse to come forward and speak to us, no matter when it happened.

“We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously and work hard to bring offenders to justice.

“Victims can talk in confidence to experienced investigators and we can also help them get access to a range of other support services.

“If anyone has been a victim of child sexual abuse, I would urge you to report it to your local police force by calling 101.”