David Harmes who posed as model scout to lure children admits sex offences against 39 children in UK & 6 in US

A paedophile who posed as a model scout to lure children in has admitted 88 sex offences. David Harmes pleaded guilty to crimes involving 39 children in the UK and six in the US over a six month period from 2019 to 2020.

Th 27-year-old was remanded in custody at Chester Crown Court ahead of being sentenced on September 5. He targeted youngsters aged between six and 15 years of age, all except one were female.

Police have said he used a whole host of different disguises and would draw victims in after initially spotting them on Instagram or YouTube. He would often pose as a model scout named ‘Jess’.

Investigating officer detective sergeant Mark Naylor said: "Having received intelligence that Harmes was offending, his laptops, phones and other digital devices were seized in a warrant at his address, and Harmes was returned to prison for breaching his Sex Offender Notification Order on 8 February 2020 preventing him from committing further crimes."

Detective superintendent Simon Draco said: "This has been a complex and meticulous investigation with international based victims that has resulted in the conviction of Harmes and will bring justice for the victims of his offending."

Draco added: Cheshire Constabulary has an investigation team dedicated to targeting those who sexually abuse and offend against children online and teams across the force work with partners to educate children, parents and carers about online predators, to safeguard children from potential harm.

"We’re really keen to drum home the message that parents and carers need to know what their children are doing online in order to protect them from predators like Harmes.

"We all know that we need to teach children not to speak to strangers in the street, but we need to drive home that very same message for the online world too, to prevent people like Harmes taking advantage."