Man jailed after arranging to meet a child in Bedworth following online grooming

A man has been jailed after arranging to meet who he believed to be a 13-year-old girl in Bedworth after grooming her online.

Detectives from Warwickshire Police found evidence that Edward Foster, 77, had been talking online to two girls he believed to be under the age 16; they both turned out to be decoys.

During these conversations he urged the girls not to tell anyone and to delete their messages. He asked one of them to send indecent images of herself.

In August 2022, Foster arranged to meet one of the girls at Bedworth Train Station. Police were alerted to the plan and Foster was arrested at the scene.

Appearing at Warwick Crown Court on Monday, Foster, of Holbrook Lane, Coventry was jailed for three years and one month after he had previously pleaded guilty to one count of meeting a girl under the age of 16 following grooming and two counts of attempting to engage in sexual conversation with a child.

He was also convicted of two offences in the West Midlands; meeting a girl under the age of 16 following grooming and attempting to engage in sexual conversation with a child.

Detective Constable Sam Hughes from Warwickshire Police CID said: “Foster is quite clearly a dangerous man who groomed what he believed to be young girls online before arranging to meet one of them in Bedworth.

“This kind of case should serve as a wake-up call for parents. There are people like Foster out there who will look to use social media to groom children for their own sexual gratification.

“It is important you know what your children are doing online and talk to them about the potential dangers.”

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