Keats Harvey, 24, an American residing in West Wittering, has been jailed for 12 years and six months after being found guilty of grooming and sexually assaulting four children, including a toddler, in the Chichester area.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) arrested Harvey in May 2020 on 14 charges related to child sexual abuse. Investigators discovered a disturbing collection of nearly 9,000 indecent images spanning five years on his electronic devices.
Among the images were 860 Category A pictures, which are the most severe, along with thousands of Category B and C images. Additionally, Harvey possessed 630 prohibited images. Chat logs showed that he was exchanging these abusive images with other offenders.
Harvey admitted to molesting three young children. Authorities identified and safeguarded four victims, all under the age of ten.
Harvey targeted children by exploiting adults he knew. He abused one child at a party and stalked vulnerable adults with children. He also applied for jobs at hospitals and nurseries to gain access to children.
International investigations linked another American teacher to the abuse of an 11-year-old boy in Seattle. This connection was made through shared intelligence. The teacher was arrested, and the child was protected.
Peter Stevens, NCA’s T/Regional Head of Investigations, stated, “Keats Harvey’s crimes were escalating in severity, both online and physically. Thanks to tireless work during the pandemic, reviewing horrific evidence, and close cooperation with Sussex and Hampshire Police, we’ve ensured this dangerous offender is behind bars — no longer a threat to children.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
