A man who pretended to be a teenager so he could groom young children online to obtain indecent images and videos has been jailed.

James Kang, from Northfleet, befriended multiple girls, as young as 13, with a fake persona in chat rooms between 2018 and 2021.

Having gained the trust of vulnerable victims, the 30-year-old coaxed and often bullied them into doing indecent acts while he watched.

Kang came to the attention of police when officers received information that he had uploaded indecent images of children via his email account.

Officers from Kent Police’s paedophile online investigation team executed a search warrant at his home address on 26 May 2020.

All his computer devices were seized and he was arrested.

Kang, of Rural Vale, denied committing any offences in an interview and was bailed while the content of his devices underwent digital forensic examination.

Investigators found he possessed 12,475 still and moving indecent images of children, many under 10 years of age, of which 2,141 were of the most serious category.

Detectives also discovered evidence of Kang’s grooming activities and painstaking enquiries were completed in an attempt to identify the victims.

Kang was later charged with numerous sex offences against children.

These included causing or inciting a girl aged between 13 and 15 to commit a sexual act, making or attempting to possess an indecent image of a child and intentionally encouraging or assisting in the commission of an offence under the Serious Crime Act 2007.

He pleaded guilty to 50 charges at Woolwich Crown Court and on Wednesday, July 17, and was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

He was also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Investigating officer, detective constable Caroline White, said: “Kang is a depraved individual who used a very persuasive online persona to groom numerous vulnerable teenage girls.

“Simultaneously he was downloading images of even younger children suffering the most appalling sexual abuse.

“Once investigators had seized Kang’s computers, they spent more than 100 hours examining the online content to ensure we were able to present the full extent of his offending in evidence.

“His actions will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on the victims’ lives.

“Where we have identified those he has targeted, we have taken steps to ensure they receive support as they seek to come to terms with their ordeal. It is only right that the predator who caused such harm is now serving a lengthy prison sentence.

“If anyone has been a victim of any sexual offence it is never too late to report this to the police, a parent or other trusted person. We will always treat any information with the upmost confidence and sensitivity.”

Guidance on how to protect children online is available on the Kent Police website.