A man from High Wycombe has been sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment after being convicted of child sexual offences.

Russell Sheller, aged 31, of Acorn Close, High Wycombe, was sentenced on 15 March to a 13-year-extended sentence. He will serve eight years in custody and five years on licence.

On 21 January 2019, Sheller pleaded guilty to a count of attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sexual offence, a count of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, three counts of making indecent photographs of children, six counts of distributing an indecent photo of a child, two counts of causing sexual exploitation, a breach of sexual offences prevention order and a failure to comply with notification requirements, at a hearing at Aylesbury Crown Court.

Between October and November last year, Sheller attempted to arrange to meet a person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl to engage in penetrative sexual activity. On 5 November last year he sent her a video of him engaging in a sexual act.

On 22 June last year Sheller caused a 13-year-old girl to send him an intimate photograph of herself. Two days later he caused her to send him another photo of herself. Sheller was also found to have made hundreds of indecent images of children, including those categorised as the most severe, and distributed them via a social media app.

He was arrested on 26 July 2018 and was charged in connection with the offences on 22 November 2019. Sheller was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Petra Summers, of Thames Valley Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team, said: “Thames Valley Police has worked in partnership with foreign law enforcement agencies and other UK police forces which has resulted in a dangerous predatory online offender being brought to face justice.

“Victims have been identified both in the UK and abroad, which has allowed safeguarding measures to be put in place.

“Sheller admitted in his first interview with police that he had seen indecent images of children on the internet, and that he had shared a few images with other adults on the internet. He denied in first interview to having chatted to children on the internet.

“Behind every image is a child being abused and experiencing untold suffering. We work tirelessly to ensure those who believe possessing and distributing such images are brought to face justice.”