Sex offender who groomed boy online given extended jail sentence

A registered sex offender who pretended to be a teenage girl to trick a boy into sharing sexually explicit messages has been given an extended sentence of nine years.

In spring 2021, the victim began chatting to someone he thought was a 15-year-old girl via Snapchat, messaging and chatting via online gaming for weeks before the pair arranged to meet in Cheshire.

When the girl didn’t show up, the boy got a phone call from a man claiming to be her older brother Josh, raising the suspicions of a family member who had gone with the boy.

On the boy’s phone they then found sexually explicit messages and images from the girl, as well as conversations with Josh, and the matter was reported to police.

All the messages were traced to Joshua Neves, a 26-year-old registered sex offender living near Kettering, and Northamptonshire Police’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Unit (OCAIU) took over the investigation.

Officers went on to confirm that not only had Neves been breaking the terms of a previously-imposed Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) by using Snapchat accounts, but he had also been grooming the boy into sharing sexual messages, images and videos.

Neves went on to be charged with causing or inciting a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration, engaging in sexual communication with a child, possessing a prohibited image of a child, three counts of making indecent images and videos of a child (one count each of Category A, B and C), and breaching the SHPO.

On April 8, 2024, Neves, of Dawkins Court, Broughton, appeared before Northampton Crown Court where he admitted all the offences, and on Monday, August 5, he returned to the same court for sentence.

Neves was given an extended sentence – used for criminals convicted of specific offences who are deemed to be dangerous – made up of four years’ imprisonment with an extension of five years on licence. He was also ordered to pay a £228 victim surcharge.

Speaking afterwards, investigating officer PC Charlotte Carden of the OCAIU said: “The bravery of the survivor in supporting our investigation is remarkable, and I am so pleased that we now have a robust custodial sentence which reflects the harm Joshua Neves caused.

“He went to great lengths to groom this boy in order to sexually abuse him, convincing him that he was in a relationship with a girl his own age to coerce him into sharing photos and videos he would otherwise never have sent.

“Neves was an adult who took sexual advantage of a child, abusing his trust and exploiting him emotionally for his own sexual gratification.

“The fact the offending was carried out online does not lessen the harm and distress he caused and I hope this outcome helps the victim survivor to continue to recover and move forward positively.

“This case also demonstrates the need for parents and guardians to have open and ongoing conversations with their children about who they are talking to online – without this family’s vigilance Neves would no doubt have continued his abuse.

“Northamptonshire Police takes all forms of sexual abuse very seriously and we will do all we can to secure justice for survivors.”

*This report has been released with the support of the survivor, who has the legal right to lifelong anonymity, and his family.*

You can report any potential illegal online activity to Northamptonshire Police on 101, or online at www.northants.police.uk/RO. In an emergency, such as a crime in progress, always dial 999.

If you’ve been affected by the issues raised in this report, find advice and support here.