A paedophile has been jailed for 20 years after being caught out by parents who pretended to be his victims.
Kevin Wyeth groomed scores of young children online before blackmailing them into sending sexual images.
Described as a committed and persistent child sex offender, the 39-year-old had convictions dating back more than a decade but various sexual harm prevention orders and prison sentences failed to deter the predator who carried on offending even when he was on parole.
Now he has been jailed for 20 years after the families of three victims turned detective.
Lewes Crown Court heard that the parents discovered his sickening messages to their children and decided to chat to him online posing as the youngsters in order to gather evidence.
The families, who cannot be named, then went to police after Wyeth sent them indecent images, including pictures of their own children.
Police were then able to match his phone SIM card to the messages when they raided his home in Eastbourne in 2023.
Wyeth tried to hide the mobile with his foot when police searched his property, but officers found 271 indecent images and videos of children on the device.
On a previous occasion, the paedophile had attempted to hide a phone under a loaf of bread.
Detectives discovered that the sex offender posed as a teenage boy to pressure young girls into sending him indecent sexual images.
He then bullied the girls and threatened to rape them forcing them to send explicit pictures, instructing victims to hold up three fingers when they took selfies as a sign of his control.
On Friday Wyeth was jailed for 20 years after pleading guilty to distributing and making indecent images, engaging in sexual communications with a child, inciting girls to engage in sexual activity, disclosing a private sexual photograph or film with intent to cause distress and malicious communications.
The court heard Wyeth had previously been jailed three times for making indecent images, engaging in sexual communications with a child and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Judge Joshua Swirsky sentenced Wyeth for a total of 35 offences against four children saying: ‘You groomed, threatened and made them do things they would not have dreamt of doing at their young age but for your involvement.
‘You present a very high risk of causing harm to children.
‘Despite previous convictions, you have continued to behave in this way.
‘Identifying, grooming and abusing children online.
‘Your actions suggest you will continue to offend and your offending is becoming more serious and you are likely to cause further harm going forward.
‘You are dangerous and the public must be protected from you.’
The court heard that the abuse had ruined victims’ lives.
One mother said she was haunted by the images Wyeth sent when she pretended to be her child.
‘He is a very dangerous child predator,’ she said.
Another mother said: ‘My children are so vulnerable and have been through so much caused by this vile man.
‘I just want our little girls back.
‘I just want us all to be happy and have the family we deserve.
‘This man has destroyed the kids’ lives.’
In a victim impact statement, one child said: ‘I used to love going out.
‘Now I fear being alone.
‘I hope one day it will be easier for me and I don’t have to feel this fear.’
Detective Constable Gary Baker said: ‘Wyeth preyed on the fears of the girls to commit his crimes.
‘He has repeatedly committed similar offences, breached Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, and is a danger to children.
‘His crimes have caused lasting harm to the victims, who all require ongoing support.’