A PREDATOR abused children targeted through a free instant messaging app in order to satisfy his "perverse desires".

Lewis Casey, 21, is already serving a four-year prison sentence at HMP Ashfield in Pucklechurch, Bristol after he was convicted of a string of offences including sexual assault, inciting a male under 16 to engage in sexual activity, exposure and making indecent images of children in 2016. Around 60,000 indecent images of children were found by police on his computers and phone.

However, earlier this year he was brought back before the courts charged with 18 further offences, which he admitted. The offences include sexual assault by penetration of a child under 13, three counts of sexual assault involving children, sexual activity in the presence of a child, causing or inciting children to engage in sexual activity and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of children.

Casey, who is from Bournemouth, has now been jailed for a further five years and 10 months.

He must also serve an extended licence period of eight years when released on parole.

Police in Dorset launched a second investigation after the 2016 sentencing. Officers looked into the defendant's internet use, as well as his use of the online Kik Messenger chatroom.

They discovered Casey used the forum to communicate with a number of people. He shared and received images and videos showing the sexual abuse of children and babies.

Kik preserves users' anonymity.

However, detectives recovered 25,761 rows of Kik data from Casey’s devices. The data related to 1,280 different message partners and usernames between January 1 2014 and April 1 2015.

Evidence linking him to a number of children he had sexually abused was found. Officers also found other victims he had met via Kik.

Detective Constable Ade Stocker, of Bournemouth CID, said: “Lewis Casey is a sexual predator who abused young girls and boys to satisfy his perverse sexual desires.

“He also used the internet and chatrooms to send and receive sexually explicit images of himself and children to other users who he knew were all aged under 16. I hope the sentence handed out by the court will bring his victims some sense of closure.

“I would urge anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence and has not reported it to make contact with us. You will be listened to and supported.

"Finally, I would like to remind those people involved in the abuse of children on the internet in the UK or overseas or those who choose to download and share indecent images of children that your activity will be discovered, you will be arrested and you will be brought to justice.”