Karl Shuttleworth, a 60-year-old from Poulshot near Devizes, has been sentenced to three years in prison for multiple child sex offences and will never be allowed to work with children again. The former Poulshot Road resident pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a female child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to expose a child under 13 to sexual images, arranging or facilitating a child sex offence, and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
Wiltshire Police revealed that Shuttleworth held a position involving vulnerable children while secretly exploiting the internet to arrange illicit encounters with individuals he believed were minors. The investigation, led by the Child Internet Exploitation Team (CIET), culminated in his arrest in September 2024.
Detective Constable Jason Walsh said, “Shuttleworth is a predator who used multiple online platforms to target what he thought were children, attempting to incite them into sexual activity. Fortunately, no live victims were identified, but given his role and behaviour, he posed a significant danger.”
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At Salisbury Crown Court on February 23, Shuttleworth was not only imprisoned but also subjected to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He was ordered to pay CPS costs and a surcharge and received a lifelong ban from working with children and vulnerable adults, ensuring he cannot exploit children again.