A paedophile who tried to arrange the sexual abuse of a child while awaiting deportation to the UK has been jailed.
Keith Banks, 62, from Bow, east London, was being held in an Australian detention centre when he used an email account to organise a meeting with a child in Essex.
At the time of the attempt, in September 2019, he had just finished serving a sentence for child sex offences.
Despite being put on the Sex Offenders’ Register and being issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) when he returned to the UK in October, he persisted with his attempt to set up a meeting with the minor.
In November, his disturbing plans came together and he travelled to Rayleigh to see the child.
However, when Banks arrived at the location he was arrested by officers from the Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT). He was later charged with trying to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence and breaching a SHPO.
He pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced over video link at Basildon Crown Court on July 15 to six years in prison with a further eight years on extended licence.
At no point was a child ever in danger of being abused.
Investigating officer Pc Adam Colbear, from POLIT, said: “It is clear Keith Banks intended to commit further child sexual offences in the UK even before he was deported from Australia.
“He used email while in a detention centre to speak to people intent on causing harm to children.
“He is a dangerous offender who clearly poses very real risk to children.
“A number of agencies were involved in securing this conviction and sentencing and I want to thank everyone involved. It’s excellent partnership working like this which means no sexual predator can feel impervious to law enforcement, even if they’re in a different country.”
