Three arrested and one charged as part of operation targeting child sex offences in Hampshire

A man has been charged and three others arrested on suspicion of child sex offences as part of a proactive operation by officers from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Western Area Crime Team.

Supported by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit, undercover police carried out a dedicated investigation into four men suspected to have been communicating in a sexual manner with people they believed to be children online. As a result:

• On October 23 a 41-year-old man from Fareham was arrested on suspicion of meeting a boy under 16 years of age following grooming. He has been released on conditional police bail to allow for further enquiries to continue.

• On October 24 a 77-year-old man from Ringwood was arrested on suspicion of attempting to arrange/facilitate the commission of a child sex offence. He has been released on conditional police bail to allow for further enquiries to continue.

• On October 25, a 55-year-old man from Woking was arrested on suspicion of meeting a girl under 16 years of age following grooming. The man, Ronald Lee Swain, of Willowmead Close, has now been charged with the offence. He has been remanded into custody and is next due to appear at Southampton Crown Court on November 17^th.

• On 27 October, a 55-year-old man from Gosport was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to cause a female aged 13 or over to engage in sexual activity. He has been released on conditional police bail to allow for further enquiries to continue.

This proactive work is part of our ongoing commitment to relentlessly pursuing criminal activity across Hampshire & Isle of Wight.

We remain committed to protecting vulnerable people, including young children, against possible sexual exploitation.

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