A Cambridge paedophile that was caught by detectives at a hotel on his way to meet an eight-year-old girl and a boy aged two was jailed today for more than six years.

Lee Matthews, 47, of Holme Way, Sawston, Cambridge, was arrested on February 11, 2017, as a result of a policing operation targeting online paedophiles.

Matthews was identified as using websites to discuss the sexual abuse of children with other users, as well as arranging with another man to meet him in a hotel to rape his two children and film the abuse.

Matthews was arrested at a hotel on the way to his room, ready to meet the children, a girl aged eight and a boy aged two. He had booked a family room in his own name and was carrying toys for the children when arrested.

In interview Matthews initially denied any wrongdoing and refused to provide the pin lock codes for his electrical devices; however when access was gained to them he pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating a child sexual offence.

On the same day of his arrest he was charged with attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence, which he later pleaded guilty to and today (Friday, August 11) appeared at Cambridge Crown Court and was jailed for six years and four months and will be on licence for a further three years and four months.

In sentencing Judge Farrell said to Matthews: “You present a very real danger to children and continue to do so. You present a sexual risk of causing serious harm to children hence require an extended period in custody with heavy monitoring upon your release.”

He has also been placed on the sex offenders register for life, and made subject of a life-long Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Detective Sergeant James Weston, from the Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT), said: “Matthews is a very dangerous individual who has an extremely unhealthy interest in children.

“It remains our duty to protect members of the public, particularly children, from people like Matthews and this sentence should send a clear message to all paedophiles and potential contact offenders that we will catch up with them, we will bring them to justice and they will have to face the full consequences of their actions.”

Parents of children who have access to the internet are encouraged to take an active interest in what their children are doing online and who they are talking to. Parental support and guidance can be found here: https://www.getsafeonline.org/ and https://ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/.

If you are concerned about the topics raised in this article and your own behaviour, there is independent support and guidance available via Lucy Faithful’s Stop It Now Foundation – visit https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/ for more details.