Jason Hicks, 31, persuaded the victim to send him intimate photos and attempted to do the same with four other children.
The crimes were discovered while Hicks, of Bishopsteignton, was in the process of becoming a Devon and Cornwall Police officer.
He was immediately arrested, suspended, and dismissed without notice.
When officers executed a warrant at his home, they discovered more than 1,200 indecent images and videos of children on his laptop, iPad, and other digital devices.
In his first police interview, Hicks fully admitted to crimes dating back to 2012, telling detectives he was relieved to have been apprehended.
He pleaded guilty to a total of 13 charges and was sentenced today [Thursday, February 2] at Exeter Crown Court.
Hicks admitted having sexual contact with a nine-year-old girl from the South West and inciting her to engage in sexual activity between March and April 2021.
He had befriended the girl online by posing as an older adolescent on TikTok, then moved on to Snapchat and exchanged sexually explicit messages with her.
When the child’s parents discovered she had been communicating with an adult male, they contacted local police.
Enquiries and research eventually led officers to Hicks in Devon, who was a student police officer at the time and was still in training school. He hadn’t yet performed any public-facing or front-line duties.
On 20 January 2022, Devon and Cornwall Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team and Professional Standards Department urgently planned and executed a warrant at Hicks’s home.
He was fired without notice in February 2022 as a result of expedited misconduct proceedings, and he is now on the College of Policing’s Barred List.
Hicks was also found guilty on four additional counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with children and four additional counts of attempting to incite them to engage in sexual activity.
Between December 2021 and January 2022, he exchanged sexual Snapchat messages with four children he believed to be between the ages of 11 and 13.
Despite the best efforts of investigators, the victims have never been identified. Their IP addresses were traced back to the United States, Sweden, and the Yorkshire region.
In addition, between September 2012 and January 2022, Hicks pleaded guilty to three counts of taking indecent photographs of children.
The images and videos discovered on his devices included children as young as eight, with 127 classified as ‘Category A’.
Hicks was also given a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and the judge ordered that his digital devices be destroyed.
If he is deemed safe for release from prison after four years, he will serve three years on licence.
“We note and welcome Jason Hicks’s sentencing today for what are despicable offences,” said Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Steve Parker.
I’d like to commend the bravery of the young victim in this case and her family in coming forward and reporting these heinous crimes.
“We remain committed to bringing perpetrators of such offences to justice and those responsible will always be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
“All police officers, including those in training, have a privileged role in being part of a Force responsible for the protection of vulnerable people. Jason Hicks’ actions were completely wrong and illegal, and he is now facing the consequences.
“Our Paedophile Online Investigation Team and Professional Standards Department acted swiftly as soon as these offences were brought to our attention and Hicks was immediately arrested and suspended. Because of the accelerated misconduct proceedings, he was fired soon after.
Devon and Cornwall Police takes any reports of illegal or inappropriate conduct extremely seriously.
“All officers and staff are expected to abide by the Code of Ethics and ensure the highest standards of behaviour, both on and off duty.
I can reassure the public that the overwhelming majority of our officers and staff work diligently to help to keep the public safe, uphold our high standards and provide an exceptional service to our communities.
“When standards fall below those expected, we will always take the appropriate action and continue to learn from any instances where they do.”
Devon and Cornwall Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team proactively seeks out offenders, regardless of their position in society,” said Detective Inspector Simon Foster, who led the investigation.
“This result demonstrates the commitment we have to safeguarding children in Devon and Cornwall.
“Our team conducts warrants following investigations into an individual’s online activities which lead to arrests, charges, convictions and, most importantly, children being safeguarded and protected from harm.
“Whether it’s convicting offenders for possessing child sexual abuse material or protecting children who are groomed online, our mission is to protect children from online predators.”
Hicks used social media to find and contact young girls,” said David Barnes, District Crown Prosecutor for CPS South West. He pretended to be a teen boy, sending explicit messages and photos and encouraging the girls to send him intimate photos of themselves. As a result, at least one young girl, only nine years old, sent photographs of herself to Hicks.
“A swift investigation by the Devon and Cornwall Paedophile Online Investigation Team, working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service, enabled us to build a strong case that resulted in Hicks pleading guilty to a total of 13 charges.
Women and girls have the right to feel safe everywhere, including online. We will continue to collaborate with the police and other agencies across the criminal justice system to strengthen and improve our collaborative approach to combating these heinous crimes.”
