Roofer Mitchell Jones has started a lengthy jail term after pleading guilty to sexual activity with young girls who he met on social media.
Jones, of Nyton Road, Aldingbourne near Chichester, was sentenced for three counts of sexual activity with a child aged 14 and one count of sexual activity with a child aged 15.
He was sentenced to a total of four and a half years imprisonment after pleading guilty at Portsmouth Crown Court last Friday.
Jones had pleaded guilty at a hearing on February 27, and had been remanded in custody for sentencing.
The counts related to his offending against a girl aged 14 in Chichester over three months in early 2015, and also with a girl aged 15 in Hampshire around the same time.
Jones will also be a registered sex offender for life and was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to last indefinitely, severely restricting his access to young children and computers.
Detective Constable David Midgley of Chichester Investigations said: “This case demonstrates how the police tenaciously investigate such crimes. After we examined Jones’ mobile phone, further potential witnesses were identified and they subsequently assisted us.
“By their very nature, these young girls were vulnerable. They have shown great character and bravery in supporting the police and with their evidence, the Court have held Jones accountable for his actions.
“When he is released from prison, he will be closely supervised with the assistance of the SHPO and the sex offender registration.”
