A convicted pedophile from Surrey has been sent back to prison after planning to meet a child to sexually abuse him.

Max Coughlin, 29, from Redhill, was jailed in 2014 for creating and distributing indecent images of children.

In October 2021, following his release, police arrested Coughlin for breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and later discovered he had attempted to meet a child.

He was sentenced to six years in prison including a year on license at Guildford Crown Court on Monday after being found guilty of facilitating the commission of a child sex offense and previously pleading guilty to creating indecent images of children.

Officers from Surrey Police’s Online Pedophile Investigation Team received information that Coughlin had breached his SHPO by using apps including Snapchat and then deleting them.

Police recovered 15 devices from him, including phones and laptops, which were subjected to a thorough digital examination.

Coughlin was arrested for violating his SHPO and facilitating the commission of a sexual offense after evidence showed he planned to meet with a child for the purpose of sexually abusing them.

He pleaded guilty to creating indecent images, but not guilty to facilitating the commission of a child sex offence. He was found guilty following a trial in February.

The judge said that in addition to the prison sentence, Coughlin would be subject to sexual offense registration requirements indefinitely and would be subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.

Detective Sergeant Ben Green said: “It was clear in this case that Coughlin had used various tactics to try to cover up his digital footprint and was prepared to continue to lie in the face of evidence.

“The behavior he exhibited was predatory, so I am extremely pleased with this outcome.”

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook and on X. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.

Related web links