Bristol paedophile jailed after arranging to meet young girls

An IT engineer from Bristol who arranged to meet young girls at an airport hotel so he could sexually abuse them, has been sentenced to two years in prison.

WARNING: This article contains details from the start which some readers may find distressing

Mark Hemus (37) from Portishead was arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in October last year after checking into the Premier Inn Hotel at Heathrow Terminal Four, where he planned on carrying out the abuse.

Before being arrested Hemus had been discussing his sexual interest in children with other paedophiles online, one of whom said he had access to two girls aged eight and 11.

The NCA say he spoke "intimately" to his contact about the children and how he could abuse them, before agreeing to meet at the hotel on 28 October 2022.

Hemus was arrested by NCA officers in the foyer of the hotel after he had checked in.

NCA Senior Manager, Adam Priestley, said: “Hemus’s online chats and the fact he travelled to the hotel showed a clear intention to sexually abuse young girls.

“He is a persistent sexual offender who poses a real threat to children, so this investigation was vital in ensuring he is unable to carry out his intended crimes.

“Disrupting individuals like Hemus is a priority for the NCA and we will continue to do everything we can to protect children from harm.”

Hemus has previous convictions for indecent images of children offences in 2005 and 2020, and is currently subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) banning him from using false IP addresses, names or aliases while using the internet.

When interviewed, Hemus said he had travelled to London for a medical appointment that got cancelled, but he later admitted going to Heathrow to carry out abuse.

He claimed that he would not have gone through with it as he was scared, but officers recovered a rucksack from his hotel room, which contained Fruit Shoot drinks, sweets and toys that he planned on giving the girls.

Hemus was charged with one count of arranging or facilitating the commission of sexual assault of a child, one count of breaching his SHPO and one count of possessing prohibited images of children.

He pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on 31 October last year.

Today (20 October) at Isleworth Crown Court he was sentenced to four years - two in prison and two on licence.

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• national crime agency