‘Dangerous’ Lincolnshire man jailed for ‘despicable’ acts after inciting child to engage in sexual activity

A Lincolnshire man who incited a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

57-year-old Matthew Finch, formerly of Kirton, pleaded guilty to five offences[1], several involving the same child, earlier this year. He was sentenced to 42 months in his prison for his sick crimes at Lincoln Crown Court[2] on Monday, December 4. A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police[3] described Finch as a ‘dangerous’ offender and said he had acted ‘despicably’.

They said: “This case shows the vulnerability of children to predatory sexual behaviour online – but we won’t tolerate this in Lincolnshire. Finch is a dangerous offender and the offences, including those against a child under 13 years of age, are despicable. Get the latest Lincolnshire Live news with our email newsletters[4]

“This case also demonstrates excellent teamwork between Lincolnshire Police POLIT staff and colleagues and partners both nationally and internationally.” His charges included inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity and inciting a child aged between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity. He also pleaded guilty to causing a child to watch a sexual act, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, and possessing category-C indecent images of children, which is defined by the law as ‘erotic posing’. On top of three-and-a-half years behind bars, he was also handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Detective Inspector Leonard, from the North East Regional Economic and Cyber Crime Units, said: “Finch is a dangerous predator and thanks to an excellent police operation, he is facing the consequences of his vile actions.

This case shows our dedicated and specialist team works tirelessly with partners across the country to bring offenders to justice.

“We would always encourage anyone with information about this type of offending, or anyone who thinks they have been a victim to come forward and talk to police – you will be supported.”

References

1. ^ offences (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)
2. ^ Court (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)
3. ^ Lincolnshire Police (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)
4. ^ Get the latest Lincolnshire Live news with our email newsletters (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)