A CONVICTED child sex offender who believed he was about to witness the live abuse of a nine‑year‑old girl was today jailed after a covert police operation exposed his intentions.

He planned to travel across the country to commit further offences himself, in what investigators described as an especially disturbing and calculated attempt to target a vulnerable child.

Jason Taylor, 38, of Pengover Road, Liskeard, appeared at Truro Crown Court on Tuesday, June 30, where he was sentenced to five years in prison and made subject to a ten‑year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Taylor had earlier admitted possessing and distributing indecent images of children, arranging and facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The court heard Taylor’s crimes came to light on April 20, 2026, when Devon and Cornwall Police received a referral indicating he had been communicating with an undercover online operative. During those conversations, Taylor openly expressed his sexual interest in children and believed he was speaking to an adult who had access to a nine‑year‑old niece.

Believing the child to be real, Taylor described in detail the abuse he wished to carry out. He told the operative he was prepared to drive to Kent during the school holidays to meet the girl and sexually assault her. He then sent the operative indecent images of children and agreed to take part in a live video call in which he expected to witness abuse before travelling for the planned meeting.

At the agreed time, Taylor joined the video call with most of his face covered. The operative told him the connection needed adjusting and would call back. Within minutes, officers from Devon & Cornwall Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) entered Taylor’s home and found him in bed wearing only underwear. He was arrested at the scene.

Police Constable Dean Martin of POLIT said the sentence reflected the seriousness of Taylor’s intentions and praised the joint work between Devon & Cornwall Police and the Eastern Region Specialist Operations Unit (ERSOU).

He said Taylor’s willingness to commit abuse in person demonstrated the real‑world danger posed by offenders who seek out child sexual exploitation online.

“We welcome the sentence given to Jason Taylor today. This was a joint investigation between D&C Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) and the Eastern Region Specialist Operations Unit (ERSOU).

“Bringing offenders of child sexual abuse to justice remains our utmost priority. Whilst on this occasion Taylor was speaking to an undercover officer – should it have been a real person with a real sexual interest in children, somewhere in the world a real child would have been sexually abused for his own sick gratification.

“For those engaging or attempting to engage in this type of behaviour or possess child sexual abuse material – the warning is simple.

“You will be caught. You will be brought to justice. We will do everything we can to protect the public and the most vulnerable in our society from harm.”