David Harmes: Moment sex offender posing as ‘model scout’ to target young girls gets caught on camera

A serial sex offender who posed as a mannequin scout for main clothes firms to speak to young youngsters was caught after by accident filming himself whereas on-line.

David Harmes, 27, used numerous guises to draw his victims in, together with a scout known as Jess, a boy known as Jaden or Alex or Jadenthelad to identify just a few.

Over a interval of six months, he focused almost 50 youngsters aged between six and 15, with all however one being feminine. Hermes, of Winsford, Chester, would make contact together with his victims after recognizing them on YouTube or Instagram and would conceal his true identification.

He had solely been launched from his sentence for comparable crimes in February 2019, however started re-offending in July. In 2016, he was jailed for coercing young girls into performing sex acts by pretending to be public figures such as Zoe Sugg, a member of the boy band Bars and Melody.

Investigating officer DS Mark Naylor from the Constabulary’s Main Crime Directorate stated: “Having acquired intelligence that Harmes was offending, his laptops, telephones and different digital units have been seized in a warrant at his tackle, and Harmes was returned to jail for breaching his Sex Offender Notification Order on 8 February 2020 stopping him from committing additional crimes.”

Detectives started piecing collectively proof of his reoffending after linking him to distinctive bedding within the photographs they discovered on his units. He was additionally caught by accident opening his laptop computer and filming his face for just a few seconds whereas he was pretending to be a mannequin scout.

Liaising with USA authorities, Hermes was ultimately charged and pleaded responsible to 88 sex offences in opposition to 39 victims within the UK and 6 within the USA.

The fees embrace possessing, making and distributing indecent photographs, inciting a toddler to have interaction in sexual exercise, sexual communication with a toddler and fascinating in sexual exercise within the presence of a kid.

He has been remanded into custody and is due to seem for sentencing at Chester Crown Courtroom on July 24.

Detective Superintendent Simon Draco stated: “This has been a fancy and meticulous investigation with worldwide based mostly victims that has resulted within the conviction of Harmes and can convey justice for the victims of his offending.

“Cheshire Constabulary has an investigation crew devoted to concentrating on those that sexually abuse and offend in opposition to youngsters on-line and groups throughout the power work with companions to educate youngsters, dad and mom and carers about on-line predators, to safeguard youngsters from potential hurt.

“We’re actually eager to drum dwelling the message that oldsters and carers want to know what their youngsters are doing on-line so as to shield them from predators like Harmes. Everyone knows that we want to train youngsters not to converse to strangers on the street, however we want to drive dwelling that exact same message for the net world too, to forestall individuals like Harmes taking benefit.”