Sex offender who contacted 13-year-old jailed

A "prolific" sex offender, who communicated with a 13-year-old girl and breached a court order, has been jailed for 10 years and eight months.

Joshua Ashby, 31, from Rugby, previously pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a person under 16 and breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Warwickshire Police said Ashby was a "high-risk sex offender" and had been managed by the force's Sex Offender Management Unit after he was released from prison for previous offences.

Ashby also pleaded guilty to two charges of inciting girls to engage in and watch sexual activity in July and was sentenced at Warwick Crown Court on Monday.

He was charged and remanded in custody last year after the unit discovered he had breached his SHPO and communicated with a 13-year-old child, the force said.

"As a team it's our job to enforce the conditions when someone like Ashby is released into the community," Det Sgt Kim Stafford added.

"By being proactive, we've got a prolific sex offender back behind bars.

"An SHPO is a civil order, but it was given on conviction for Ashby due to the nature of his offences."

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