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A man has been jailed for "predatory" child sexual offences after he was caught talking to a 12-year-old girl on an online chat room.

Paul Cox, 71, from Tamworth, was sentenced to 5 years and 3 months in prison at Warwick Crown Court.

After he was arrested, additional offences involving him touching a young girl in a sexual way were reported.

Cox, who previously lived in Nuneaton, plead guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, facilitating the sexual assault of a child, and seven charges of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13.

In July 2022, Cox sent a message to a profile described as a 12-year-old girl, asking if she had any interest in chatting to an "older guy", Warwickshire Police said.

In August, he sent multiple explicit messages to the profile and tried to encourage her to send him nude pictures, the force added.

While he was in custody, reports were made that Cox had abused another young girl between October 2019 and September 2022.

Some of these offences took place in the changing rooms of leisure centres and others while driving, officers said.

Investigating officer Det Con Scott said Cox committed multiple offences over the course of four years for the purpose of his own gratification.

"His activities were predatory, attempting to use guilt as a means for coercion and control," he said.

“For just over five years he’ll be removed from society and for the rest of his life he will be prevented from interacting with any child or with anyone on the internet unsupervised.

"We will be watching him extremely closely."

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