Darren Collis admitted grooming and other offences against childrenDarren Collis, who has been given an extended sentence totalling 17 yearsAuthor: Adam ClarkPublished 26th Oct 2026A 57-year-old man from Haverhill has been jailed after pleading guilty to 30 child sex offences.Darren Collis appeared at Peterborough Crown Court on Friday 23rd October. He was given an extended sentence totalling 17 years, made up of 11 years in prison and six years on licence. Extended sentences are given to people convicted of serious violent or sexual offences, where an additional period of supervision after release is needed to protect the public. The offencesCollis had admitted the charges at an earlier hearing. They included sexual communication with a child, causing a child to watch a sexual act, grooming, arranging or facilitating the meeting of a child, and causing a child to engage in sexual activity. He also admitted making and distributing indecent images of children. What the court heardThe court heard that in May 2025 Collis started a conversation on Snapchat with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old boy. The boy did not exist – it was a fake profile. Collis continued the conversation after the “boy” said he was 14, attempted to engage in sexual conversation and sent explicit images. He also referred to speaking with another boy of the same name, who was 13. Collis was arrested at Cardinal Park in Ipswich on 28th May 2025 after arranging to meet the “boy”. After his arrest, officers seized multiple devices for forensic examination. Police identified further sexual conversations with multiple children under 16, in which Collis sent explicit pictures and videos and tried to meet them in person. In total, police identified 15 victims, who were contacted by police and given support where required. As well as his sentence, Collis was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register. The court also ordered the destruction of a number of devices belonging to him. Detective’s commentsDetective Sergeant Mark Cotton, of the Suffolk Internet Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “Darren Collis is a serious, online predator who groomed his victims in order to meet up with children and commit serious sexual offences.” “His conviction has come as a result of partnership working with the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) which work proactively to identify and track online sexual predators.” “I would like to thank them and everyone who has worked on this investigation, especially DC Rachael Adams and PSI Josie Phillips whose hard work included identifying and locating victims from across the country. It is a combination of everyone’s efforts that has ensured a dangerous predator is now behind bars.” “No family should have to go through what Collis has subjected his survivors to, and I would like to commend the victims and their families for their help and courage in bringing this sexual predator to justice.” “We are committed to bringing to justice those who engage in these crimes.”Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.
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