Southampton man given 18-month suspended sentence for child sex offences

A Southampton man has received an 18-month suspended sentence after being convicted of committing child sex offences.

Jordan Cavie, 28, of International Way, Southampton, appeared at Southampton Crown Court today (10 January) having pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

The offence relates to explicit messages Cavie sent in an online chat to a profile he thought belonged to a 13-year-old girl between Monday 16 September 2019 and Thursday 19 September 2019.

In carrying out enquiries, police identified and arrested Cavie at an address in Middle Road, Southampton on 17 November 2019.

The investigation was carried out by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary (HIOWC) with the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU).

Jordan Cavie was handed an 18-month suspended sentence for 21 months by the judge; whilst he also was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, attend 40 days rehabilitation activity requirement days, attend an accredited sexual offender programme and barred from working with children.

He was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for a period of 10 years and required to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years too.

Additionally, Jordan Cavie is required to pay court costs of £1,000.

DC Angela Smith-Jones from HIOWC’s Internet Child Abuse Team, said: “In a day and age where social media is so prevalent in young people’s lives, and the ease in which messages can be sent by people unknown to them, it is incredibly important that we, as the police, are in a position to investigate if we believe that criminal offences have taken place during these exchanges.

“Throughout the investigation, we have worked closely with SEROCU in order to develop evidence against an individual who had every intention of meeting who they believed to be a child in order to commit sexual offences against them.

“Despite the messages making clear the girl was underage, Cavie continued to send sexual content.

“Our teams are committed and will continue to work hard to ensure that children across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are not exposed to sexual predators or violence.”

Detective Constable Colin Haynes, of SEROCU, said: “Thankfully, as part of this investigation no real children were in danger however Cavie committed a serious offence in that he believed the person he was communicating with was a child. SEROCU works closely in collaboration with forces in the South East including Hampshire Constabulary to disrupt offenders to make every effort to ensure that children are protected from harm.”

If you’re worried about a child’s behaviour, either in the real world or online, or even if you're unsure - you can speak to trained professionals who may be able to support you; as they might be at risk of child sexual exploitation.

Remind the child that even though people they’ve met online might feel like friends they may not be who they say they are. It is always worth considering reviewing what apps they are using and the parental controls and privacy settings on devices, mobile apps and social media networks that they may use too.

If you think a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 999.

The Lucy Faithfull Foundation is the only UK wide charity dedicated solely to preventing child sexual abuse. For anonymous support and advice, use the Stop It Now! helpline on 0808 1000 900 or visit https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/helpline/ to find out more.

For more information about keeping your children safe online, and to be signposted to other organisations who can help, visit our website here: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/caa/child-abuse/online-child-abuse/.