A man who tried to arrange meeting someone he thought was a 14-year-old boy for sex has been handed a two-year prison sentence.  

Nicholas Owen, 31, also sent numerous messages to the ‘boy’ with sexualised questions and asked for indecent photographs over a six-week period.  

But the boy was actually an adult and had clearly stated his age during the interactions.  

And yet Owen continued to contact him with increasingly sexualised messages.  

He began contacting the ‘boy’ on a dating app on September 6 2021, and then moved over to his work phone for a day. He then transferred their conversations to a new device.  

Owen was identified through his employer, who one of the phones was registered to.  

The company was also able to confirm his movements referenced in some of the messages.  

Owen, of Wainwright, Werrington, Peterborough, was arrested on February 8 last year. 

He went on to admit attempting to cause or incite a boy 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.  

At Peterborough Crown Court yesterday (August 3) he was jailed for 26 months and handed a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years. 

DC Anoeska Langford said: “Luckily on this occasion the victim turned out to be an adult.  

“They clearly stated they were 14 years old, but this did not deter Owen who persisted with sexualised messages and seemed determined to meet.  

“Protecting the county’s children from predatory behaviour is one of our priorities and we will continue to do all we can to bring offenders before the courts.”  

Anyone who is concerned someone may have been convicted of a sex offence, and could be posing a risk to someone, can visit the Sarah’s Law section of Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s website.