July 2023

Jail for Medway man for attempting to commit child sex offence

A Medway man has been jailed for attempting to arrange a sexual encounter with a child.

Kyle Pepperell, 36, formerly of Eastcourt Lane, Gillingham, exchanged several explicit messages with who he believed to be a 13-year-old girl between January and February 2021.

He requested that intimate images be sent to him via WhatsApp, which he also used to post an indecent video of himself.

The messages were later reported to Kent Police and Pepperell was arrested on Friday 5 March 2021. He was subsequently charged with three counts of attempting to commit a child sex offence.

Pepperell denied the offences but was found guilty following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court, where on Friday 7 July 2023 he was sentenced to five years and three months’ imprisonment.