Eastleigh man sentenced for sexual communication with a child

An Eastleigh man has been jailed after sending sexual communications to a child despite being subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Jordan David Saunders, 25, of Twyford Road, appeared at Southampton Crown Court today (Thursday 15 August) where he was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

The court heard how Saunders began messaging a 14-year-old girl on Instagram on 4 February 2024. The messages from Saunders turned sexual, with limited engagement from the victim, including him sending her indecent images of himself.

Saunders was caught when the victim’s mother saw the messages and contacted police.

He was arrested and charged with one count of sexual communication with a child, and one count of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

As well as his prison sentence, Saunders will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

Trainee Detective Constable Molly Batting, who led the investigation, said: “Protecting children from exploitation is one of the most important missions that we, the police, have. I am pleased that Saunders has been jailed so that he cannot continue this predatory behaviour online, and he can’t go on to cause harm to children in the real world.

“I also hope that this sentence will alert others to the dangers of the digital world – Saunders used a popular social media app to communicate with the victim, but there are many other ways that children communicate online today and we urge parents to remain vigilant and seek support if something doesn’t seem right.

“We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously and would encourage anyone who has been a victim of child sexual abuse to contact police on 101 where you can speak with specialist, experienced officers in confidence.”

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.

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/