A sexual predator who posed as a 12-year-old to obtain explicit photos from children has sentence increased following the Solicitor General's intervention.
Joshua Wilson (26) from Bedworth, Warwickshire, had his sentence increased by one year and ten months after the case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP, under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
The Court heard that between May and September 2023, Wilson contacted two children on social media. He requested nude images and sent sexually explicit images of himself to one of them.
In October 2024, following his arrest and whilst on bail, Wilson contacted a nine-year-old girl on social media.
Posing as a 12-year-old boy, Wilson video called her and requested she show her genitals to him.
Wilson was also found to be in possession of numerous indecent images of children and had uploaded some onto an instant messaging service.
The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:
Joshua Wilson's crimes were sickening. He sought to befriend and sexually exploit vulnerable children.
I welcome the Court of Appeal's decision to increase his sentence following my intervention.
On 7 March 2025, Wilson was sentenced to four years imprisonment for three counts of making indecent photographs of children, one count of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, one count of distributing indecent photographs of children, four counts of sexual communication with a child, one count of causing a child to watch a sexual act, and one count of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
On 17 June 2025, Wilson's sentence was increased to five years and 10 months after it was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
