Missing girl search led police to sex offender

A man who was arrested when a missing teenage girl was found at his home has pleaded guilty to a string of child sex offences.

After a missing person report was filed in the West Midlands in January, analysis of phone data led officers from Derbyshire Police to the Heanor home of Richard Tate.

The 42-year-old was arrested and a mobile hidden in a box in his bedroom was found to contain indecent images and videos of children.

Tate, of Bourne Drive, appeared before Derby Crown Court on Friday 25 September where he pleaded guilty to 16 offences. He will be sentenced in December.

Tate admitted child abduction, five counts of making indecent photographs / pseudo-photographs of a child, two counts of attempting to cause a child aged 13 to 15 to watch or look at an image of sexual activity and two counts of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

In addition he pleaded guilty to two counts of meeting a girl under 16 following grooming, three counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child, and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Police said the charges related to four different teenage girls.

Officers discovered Tate had been messaging girls on Snapchat and had claimed to be a 15-year-old boy.

He was suspected to have travelled to the Isle of Wight to meet one of them.

Tate, who was remanded into custody following his guilty pleas, is due to be sentenced at the same court on 21 December.

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