Andrew Cobb, a 54-year-old from Monmouth Street, Bridgwater, has been sentenced to six years and seven months in prison following a police sting that exposed his disturbing pattern of targeting vulnerable children online. Cobb engaged in manipulative conversations with at least nine youths, requesting explicit images and discussing sexual activities.
His arrest in June 2023 came after he contacted someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl in April of the same year. An investigation revealed that Cobb initiated multiple conversations aimed at gaining the trust of minors, framing them as private relationships or mentorships to maintain secrecy. Authorities also seized multiple electronic devices which contained evidence of his extensive exploitation.
Cobb’s history includes similar offences in 2011, after which he was required to register as a sex offender for ten years—a period that ended in 2021, just before his recent offending began. He pleaded guilty to 15 charges, including making indecent images of children, engaging in sexual communications with minors, and inciting children to engage in sexual activities.
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Alongside his prison sentence, Cobb has been placed under an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. Detective Constable Benn Murphy, involved in the case, remarked, “Cobb’s calculated and relentless exploitation of children online shows a blatant disregard for the devastating impact on his victims. We remain committed to protecting children and will pursue offenders relentlessly to bring them to justice.”