POLICE have warned children and young people to be extremely cautious online after an internet sexual predator was jailed for 10 years.

Dale Michael Tyson, 30, manipulated 10 youngsters in two countries to send him sexual images and engage in sexual activity for his gratification, York Crown Court heard.

North Yorkshire Police believed there were far more victims of the Harrogate pervert.

Detective Sergeant Steven Alderson said: “This case really highlights the fact that it is almost impossible to know if the person you are speaking to online is who they claim to be.

"Tyson pretended he was a young north American man to create connections with his victims so that he could manipulate them into sending graphic images of themselves which he then used for his own gratification.

“The young victims who came forward showed incredible bravery in speaking to the police about what happened to them and in speaking out they have helped protect many more young people from Tyson’s deplorable behaviour.

“The investigation spanned the UK and USA with fantastic work from our investigators at North Yorkshire Police who managed to locate a number of these victims, without whom the case would not have been so strong.

"These types of investigations are a huge team effort, but I’d particularly like to thank DC Lucy Armstrong, victim ID Officer Steve Tock and digital forensic investigator Zoe Warboys for their part in bringing this offender to justice.”

“Unfortunately, online communication gives criminals like Tyson the opportunity to meet and speak to victims whilst pretending to be whatever persona will allow him to create these relationships and it is a situation we are seeing more and more often.

"Please be extremely cautious when speaking to anyone online and never share images or personal details about yourself.”

Tyson, of Christina Street, Harrogate, pleaded guilty to seven charges of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three involving distribution of indecent images of children, six of having indecent images of children and one of sexual communication with a child.

In addition to the 10-year jail term, he will be on the sex offenders’ register and subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the rest of his life.

  • The NSPCC has a wide range of resources for parents around keeping children safe online and advice around how to approach conversations about online safety: Online Safety for Children – Tips & Guides | NSPCC
  • If you think you or your child may have been a victim of online abuse, you should call the police immediately.
  • If you are worried about online sexual abuse or the way someone has been communicating with you online and you would prefer not to speak to the police, you can report confidentially online through CEOP: https://www.ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre/