A 'cold and calculating' man who subjected children to sustained sexual abuse has been locked up for five years.
Lewis Peake, 18, of Meadow Road, Whitehaven, was sentenced by Carlisle Crown Court for seven counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
He admitted the offences along with charges of sexual communication with a child and possession of indecent photographs of a child.
After the hearing, Detective Constable Chris Harland said the investigation into Peake - who was sent to a young offenders’ institute - had been long and protracted and involved five police forces and 10 victims from across the country.
“Peake is a cold and calculating man who has used social media to subject his victims to serious and in some cases sustained sexual abuse.
“Peake used these children for his own sexual gratification and I hope the sentencing can go towards giving them some closure," he added.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here