Southampton man jailed for attempting "predatory" sexual communications with children

Christopher Jay Swaine, 41, of Foundry Lane, Southampton, appeared at Southampton Crown Court last week where he was sentenced to three years and ten months in prison.

Swaine was identified by police via covert conversations with two fictional 12-year-old girls, with the final messages culminating on Christmas Eve, 2021. He was arrested and, following an examination of his mobile phones, charged with two counts of attempted sexual communication with a child and two counts of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, pleading guilty to all counts at a court hearing in April 2024.

As well as his prison sentence, Swaine will also be on the Sex Offenders’ Register and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention order.

Police constable Ollie Green, of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Internet Child Abuse Team, who led the investigation into Swaine, said: “The conversations that Swaine had with his fictional victims were particularly predatory and we are pleased that he has now been jailed so that he cannot go on to cause harm to children in the real world.

“Protecting children from exploitation is one of the most important missions that we, the police, have. This is an example of effective proactive policing in action and I would like to extend my thanks to all those involved in this case, whose hard work has resulted in a potentially dangerous offender being brought to justice. I also hope that this sentence will alert others to the dangers of the digital world - Swaine used the app ‘Kik’ to communicate with his fictional victims but there are many other ways that children communicate online today and we urge parents to remain vigilant and seek support if something doesn’t seem right. We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously and would encourage anyone who has been a victim of child sexual abuse to contact police on 101 where you can speak with specialist, experienced officers in confidence.”

A police spokesperson added: “If you’re worried about a child’s behaviour, either in the real world or online, or even if you’re unsure, you can speak to trained professionals who may be able to support you. Remind the child that even though people they’ve met online might feel like friends they may not be who they say they are. It is always worth considering reviewing what apps they are using and the parental controls and privacy settings on devices, mobile apps and social media networks that they may use too. If you think a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 999.”

The Lucy Faithfull Foundation is the only UK wide charity dedicated solely to preventing child sexual abuse. For anonymous support and advice, use the Stop It Now! helpline on 0808 1000 900 or visit www.stopitnow.org.uk/helpline/ to find out more. For more information about keeping your children safe online, and to be signposted to other organisations who can help, visit our website here: www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/caa/child-abuse/online-child-abuse/.