Essex man used gaming account to try and incite teenage girls into sexual activity online
An Essex man tried to incite young teenage girls into sexual activity through his gaming account online. Lee Bergstrom has been locked up for engagin with girls under 16 only despite already being subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
In October 2024 officers from Essex Police's Management of Sex Offenders and Violent Offenders (MOSOVO) team acted on information from the National Crime Agency that Bergstrom was in breach of his order and committing crimes online
The 35-year-old was arrested at his home address in Nipsells Chase, Mayland after it was discovered he was using his gaming account to engage with girls under the age of 16. Further investigations revealed that he was also attempting to engage in sexual communications with a girl.
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He refused to answer all questions during interview, replying no comment, but there was "overwhelming" evidence and he was charged with attempting to cause or incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and an attempted breach of a sexual harm prevention order.
He later admitted the charges, and on Friday January 10 Bergstrom was jailed for six years at Chelmsford Crown Court with an extension of six years on licence for attempting to incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity. He was placed on the sex offenders register for life and his games console was confiscated.
Detective Chief Inspector Michael Pannell said: “I am pleased to see that Bergstrom has been jailed for his crimes. Working in partnership with our colleagues from the National Crime Agency ensured we were able to act promptly to safeguard the children he was targeting.
"I want to reassure the community that we continue to work hard to bring more people like him to justice. He not only showed a flagrant disregard for his order but was actively committing new offences and targeting vulnerable children.
"This type of offending will not be tolerated. We work hard to monitor and manage people who are subject to such orders and if anyone is found to breach the terms of these preventative orders, we will find them and they will be brought before the courts."