Cambridgeshire paedophile who encouraged 10-year-old to send naked pictures to him jailed after being extradited from USA

A Cambridgeshire paedophile – who “fled the UK” after being arrested for encouraging a 10-year-old girl to take and send him naked photos of herself – has been jailed.

Colin Cann, 51, was arrested in 2016 in connection with a number of child sex offences – but he then fled to the USA.

However, earlier this year he was extradited, and has now been jailed for four and a half years.

Cambridgeshire Police described his behaviour as “shocking.”

Police said Cann started speaking to the schoolgirl on an instant messaging phone app between 1 and 16 September, 2014.

His messages to the girl included one that said: “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours”, and later that same day, Cann sent her a photo of a young girl performing a sex act on an older man he said was him.

The messages continued, with the girl receiving more photos of Cann performing sex acts in his home and, on 15 September, the messages became threatening.

Investigations traced the sexual grooming to Cann and in February 2016 officers visited his home at the time, in High Street, Chatteris.

They seized various digital devices, including a computer and storage discs, found to contain 2,565 category C indecent images of children, 1000 category B images and 1392 category A images – the most severe.

Cann was later charged with seven offences, including two counts of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of causing a girl under 13 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity and three counts of making indecent images of children.

Cann, of Clay Way, Ely, was sentenced at Huntingdon Law Courts on Friday (5 May) where he was handed a total of four years and six months in prison.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, also indefinite, to monitor any future offending.

‘His behaviour was shocking’

DC Keith Evans, from the force’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT), said: “Cann fled the UK to America in late 2016, but we managed to extradite him to the UK in February of this year. I am pleased he has now been sentenced and I hope this brings his victim some closure.

“It was clear Cann was aware he was talking to a child and he even advised her to tell her teacher she had learnt sex education from a paedophile.

“His behaviour was shocking and, as this case highlights, we will do all we can to bring those to justice who use the internet in this way.

“Phones and social media mean children can be vulnerable to those who prey on their innocence and exploit their trust. I would urge parents to speak to their children about online safety and consider exactly who they are communicating with.

“Not only this, but a child is victimised when an indecent image is taken and every time it is viewed or shared.”