A “twisted” pedophile who posed as a model scout to lure child victims has admitted to 88 sex crimes.
David Harmes, 27, pleaded guilty to crimes involving 39 victims in the UK and six in the US over a six-month period between July 2019 and February 2020.
He was taken into custody at Chester Crown Court on Monday ahead of his sentencing on September 5.
cheshire Police said Harmes kept his true identity hidden, adding: “All this deceit and manipulation was to feed his twisted obsession.”
It targeted young people between the ages of six and 15, all but one female, drawing them in after seeing them on YouTube or Instagram.
Harmes, from Winsford, Cheshire, wore a number of disguises, including posing as a model scout, “Jess”, and claiming to work for major clothing stores.
He had finished serving time for similar crimes about five months before he began to commit more crimes.
Detective Sergeant Mark Naylor, investigating officer, said: “After receiving 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 violating his sex offender notification order on February 8, 2020, preventing him from committing any further offences.”
He was linked to the crimes because of his distinctive bedding, which is seen in footage found on his devices, and footage of him accidentally opening his laptop and filming his face for just a few seconds.
The charges included possessing, making, and distributing indecent images, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual communication with a child, and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
Detective Superintendent Draco said: “This has been a complex and meticulous investigation with international victims that resulted in the conviction of Harmes and will bring justice for the victims of his offence.”
“Cheshire Police have an investigative team dedicated to targeting those who sexually abuse and assault children online and the force’s teams work with partners to educate children, parents and carers about online predators, to protect children from potential harm.
“We are very interested in getting the message across that parents and caregivers need to know what their children are doing online to protect them from predators like Harmes.
“We all know we need to teach kids not to talk to strangers on the street, but we also need to drive home that same message to the online world, to prevent people like Harmes from being taken advantage of.”