Portsmouth man sentenced for online sexual abuse of children

A Portsmouth man has been sentenced to ten years in prison for a string of online sexual abuse offences.

Travis Koffi Alden, 24, of St Faiths Road, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 25 August) having pleaded guilty to 39 counts of online sexual abuse offences involving ten victims across the country and internationally, all aged between 9 and 13 at the time the offences took place.

The court heard how police were first made aware of the case when a report was made in August 2019 to officers in Wales that an 11-year-old girl had been receiving sexually explicit messages. An investigation was launched and the mobile phone sending the messages was found to belong to Alden, who lived in Portsmouth. Officers from the Internet Child Abuse Team (ICAT)  arrested him and seized his mobile phone and laptop for examination, which revealed a number of further victims.

Between these devices, officers discovered hundreds of indecent images, which included the most serious, category A images.

Alden was charged with inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual act, taking/making indecent images of children (category A, B and C), distributing indecent images of children (category A) and possessing extreme pornography.

He has now been sentenced to ten years in prison with a five year extended licence, a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order and has had to forfeit his devices.

Detective Constable Stephen Hill of Hampshire Constabulary’s ICAT team, who led the investigation, said: “Behind every indecent image or message of or to a child is a vulnerable victim and these crimes are among the most appalling that we investigate.

“This was a long and complex investigation requiring a great deal of effort to identify numerous victims across the United Kingdom and beyond and seek justice for them.

“Alden preyed on young girls on various chat sites, encouraging them to engage in sexualised conversations or acts. The impact that such abuse has on these young victims is immeasurable and we are pleased that we have been able to support them and bring Alden to justice.

“Tacking online abuse of this nature and supporting children online is a priority for us and we will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.”

Anyone who has any concerns about child abuse should contact Hampshire Constabulary on 101 or via our online reporting tool.

To help protect children online and for information and support visit: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/caa/child-abuse/online-child-abuse/