Isle of Wight paedophile sentenced for 21 child sexual offences

Joshua Pelling, of Avenue Road, Sandown, has appeared at the Isle of Wight Crown Court today (Thursday).

The 35-year-old entered a guilty plea to 21 charges, relating to six young girls, in October last year.

Among the offences included inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual activity with a child, and taking indecent photographs of a child. 

The dates of the offences range between April, 2015, and March, 2019. They involved six victims, in the UK and US, aged ten to 15. 

Today, the court heard how Pelling posed as a female and used a website to target young girls.

Prosecutor, Barry McElduff, said the defendant would ask his victims to lift up their tops to expose their bras, and in some cases their breasts.

He would then take a screenshot, without them knowing, and ask them to engage in sexual activity with themselves.

If they refused, he would threaten to send images to their family and friends.

Pelling was able to evade detection by using his neighbours' broadband routers and IP addresses, the court heard. 

This resulted in the arrest of a "wholly innocent person".

Prosecutor Mr McElduff said Pelling's offending was "serious, targetted and strategic".

Defending, Jim Osborne said Pelling takes full responsibility for his actions, is "ashamed and saddened", and empathises with his child victims.

Mr Osborne said he pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, and asked for this, and his remorse, to be taken into account when passing sentence.

Pelling has been in custody since December, after he was caught in possession of £3,000 worth of cannabis while on bail.

Evidence of his involvement in drugs supply was found by police during a search of his home, the court heard.

He was also found to have breached an interim sexual risk order, made in the wake of his conviction.

Pelling was sentenced to eight years in prison, plus two on license.