A detective has been commended by the Chief Constable following an investigation which resulted in a man who had been committing offences against children receiving a significant prison sentence.
Detective Sergeant Rob Hayes was responsible for a lengthy investigation which began when a pre-teen child in Barrow was found to be receiving messages of s sexual nature from a man.
Detectives were able to identify the person responsible - a man in his 40s from Lincolnshire - and he was arrested.
However, the work did not end there as Det Sgt Hayes conducted further enquiries and discovered that the offender had been contacting other children around the country.
The suspect had used a Hong Kong-based social media app and a non-attributable phone which he told children meant he was untraceable and would never be caught by the police.
However, thanks to the efforts of Det Sgt Hayes', the offender's confidence was to prove misplaced.
The man was charged with more than 20 offences in total including six counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He was sentenced in September 2021 to more than six years in prison.
Det Sgt Hayes was put forward for the commendation by Detective Chief Inspector John Graham-Cumming. He said: "This was a challenging initial investigation, pursued with great tenacity and determination.
"As a result, Det Sgt Hayes was able to identify further victims of the offender's behaviour beyond Cumbria and hold him accountable for those offences.
"Det Sgt Hayes' work was a credit to the Constabulary. His efforts were praised by the Crown Prosecution Service's rape and serious sexual offences unit and are worthy of commendation."