A SERIAL paedophile referred to a 14-year-old boy as “kiddo” and “little one” as he groomed him online – while the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

The police attended Rhys Long’s address on March 22 after becoming aware his phone number was linked to an unauthorised Instagram account, Prosecutor Brian Simpson said.

Long was the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order which banned him from having unsupervised contact with children, having social media accounts in other names, deleting data from his devices, or having cloud storage.

Long handed over devices that were registered to him, and listed social media accounts the police were aware of. He was arrested.

When asked if he had any other devices in the house, he admitted having a phone in a safe in his bedroom, which police seized along with a laptop.

A total of six unregistered social media accounts in other names – including four on Instagram and one on Twitter – were found.

Officers discovered conversations with a 14-year-old boy from Lincolnshire on the phone and via Snapchat, Mr Simpson told the court.

Long referred to the boy as “kiddo” and “little one” in messages, made references to his parents and to school, and the boy later told police that the defendant was aware of his age.

The conversations involved sex toys and the boy buying adult nappies, and when the boy told Long he had broken up with his boyfriend, Long replied: 'I hope that had nothing to do with me'.

“There appears to be evidence of grooming,” Mr Simpson said, adding that Long also sent the boy vapes and money for his birthday.

Mr Simpson said the boy admitted to officers they had masturbated with each other over FaceTime.

Also on the phone were conversations with at least three other Snapchat users discussing and sharing links to images of child sexual abuse.

On Long’s original phone, officers found indecent images of children, where the youngest child was three years old, and eleven internet searches using the term “underage”.

There was also an application that wiped cached data, which had been open and appeared to be in the process of deleting data when officers arrived, Mr Simpson said.

Long has three previous convictions for 10 offences. From these, Long was in breach of two suspended sentences, as well as the sexual harm prevention order.

James Hartson, representing Long, said: “Nothing I can say about the offending or these offences will assist the defendant.

“There’s clearly an absence of sexual boundaries and clearly distorted thinking.

“He doesn’t know why he offends or what triggers it.

“He accepts that today he will receive a substantial custodial sentence.”

Addressing Long, Judge Paul Thomas said: “It’s clear to me that, at the moment, you have an entrenched paedophilia which you will not do anything about.

“You not only failed to stop offending, but the seriousness of what you were doing has increased.

“You have shown a complete and utter disregard for the sexual harm prevention order, for the suspended sentence order, and for the court and its process.”

Long, 22, of Cynghordy Road in Llandovery, admitted causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual communication with a child, three offences of making indecent images of children, three offences of distributing indecent images of children, four breaches of a sexual harm prevention order.

Judge Thomas sentenced Long to five years and six months in prison, with an extended sentence of a further three years on licence.

Long was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.