A 29-year-old Redhill man, Max Coughlin, has been sentenced to six years in jail with an extended license for a further year after being convicted of making plans to sexually abuse a child. This conviction comes after Coughlin was found guilty of facilitating the commission of a child sex offense and pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children.
Coughlin had a prior conviction in 2014 for similar offenses and was subject to the Sexual Offenses registration requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) upon his release from prison. Despite these restrictions, Coughlin was found to be breaching his SHPO by using apps like Snapchat and deleting them to cover his tracks.
Following a warrant executed at his home in October 2021, where officers recovered 15 devices for digital examination, Coughlin was arrested for breaching his SHPO and planning to meet a child for sexual abuse. He initially pleaded not guilty to facilitating the commission of a child sex offense but was found guilty in a trial in February 2024.
The judge sentenced Coughlin to seven years in prison and ruled that he will be subject to the Sexual Offenses registration requirements indefinitely, along with a permanent Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Detective Sergeant Ben Green from Surrey Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team praised the swift action taken to arrest Coughlin and prevent any physical harm to a child.
Green highlighted Coughlin’s predatory behavior and his attempts to cover his digital footprint as clear signs of his dangerous intent. He commended the collaboration between different police teams in achieving this outcome and emphasized the ongoing threat posed by online predators to children.
This case serves as a reminder of the importance of monitoring and enforcing restrictions placed on convicted offenders to protect vulnerable individuals in the community. The diligence of law enforcement agencies in tracking down and apprehending individuals like Coughlin is crucial in ensuring the safety of children online.
