A REGISTERED sex offender has been jailed for more than five years following an investigation involving specialist officers who protect the public from some of the county's most dangerous offenders.

Karl Henry was arrested after contacting two people online who he believed were an 11 year-old girl, 'Jessy', and a 12 year-old boy 'James'. In both cases the 33-year-old tried to engage them in sexual activity.

However, both the Jessy and James were adults and he was arrested when attempting to meet one of them at his home in Great Ranton, Pitsea on 17 November last year.

Henry is a registered sex offender and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until 2028 which includes conditions which bar him from contacting children or using functions or software which prevent his internet history from being seen.

Officers established he had breached both of these conditions.

Officers from Basildon CID and the Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders team (MOSOVO) worked together to put together a case against Henry.

Thanks to their work he was left with no choice but to plead guilty to charges of attempting to cause a child to watch or look at an image of sexual activity, attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

At Basildon Crown Court on Thursday, 11 February he was sentenced to five years in prison with another four on extended licence, given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and put on the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Rachael Rahman, from Basildon CID, said: "Karl Henry poses a very real and present danger to children and was clearly intent on grooming and abusing them.

"Through a thorough investigation and excellent working between teams, Henry was left with no option but admit his guilt.

"He will now spend the foreseeable future behind bars and Essex is a safer place for it."

Working the DC Rahman were officers from MOSOVO, which works to protect the public from some of the county's most dangerous offenders.

This team of dedicated, specialist officers work to manage the risk serious sexual and violent offenders pose to the community.

This includes working with partner agencies to monitor and risk assess offenders prior to, and after, their release from prison to reduce the risk they pose to the public.

They carry out proactive checks to ensure the people they are managing are adhering to the terms of their release and use specialist equipment to identify any offences, including polygraphs.

Detective Inspector Rob Brettell, who leads the team in the south of the county, said: "Our work goes on away from the public.

"In the majority of cases, the people we manage go about their lives without creating any additional risk to the public.

"And because we carry out proactive checks, on the small number of occasions where someone isn't adhering to the terms of their release, we're there to ensure the public don't come to harm."