A North East paedophile has been put behind bars after grooming a child in Australia online.
Simon Bell’s offending came to light in 2023 following intelligence received by Northumbria Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT), a dedicated unit working to protect vulnerable children.
Officers soon identified a string of offences committed by Bell against a girl from Australia, who had been groomed online by him.
The investigation led to the arrest of Bell, at his home in Jarrow, South Tyneside, in May 2023.
He was later charged with seven offences, two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in a sexual act, three of making indecent images of children, and one each of causing a child under 13 to watch sexual activity and sexual communication with a child under 16.
Bell, 32, pleaded guilty to all of the offences at Newcastle Crown Court in March 2026.
He appeared back at the same court today (Thursday, April 9) where he received a 40-month prison sentence.
Bell will also have to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), both for ten years.
Speaking after the sentencing hearing, Detective Constable Geraldine Whitfield, of Northumbria Police, said: “I want to thank the extraordinary bravery shown by the young victim in this case.
“She has demonstrated remarkable strength in coming forward and supporting this investigation, despite the deeply distressing ordeal she suffered.
“Her courage has been central to ensuring this offender has now been brought to justice.”
Det Con Whitfield added: “Protecting vulnerable people is a key priority of our work, and we remain committed to ensuring that offenders such as Bell are identified and held to account."
She urged anyone who has been a victim of such offending, or if they have concerns about someone who may be at risk, to come forward.
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“We will listen to you and we will believe you,” she added.
Anyone who has been the victim of any form of sexual abuse, whether recent or non-recent, can contact police using the ‘Report’ or ‘Live Chat’ pages of the Northumbria Police website, or by sending a direct message on social media.
For those unable to contact police in those ways, they are asked to call 101, but, in an emergency, the advice is to always ring 999.
