A FORMER paramedic and poppy appeal volunteer who groomed a teenage girl before abusing her in a hotel room also bragged to an undercover police officer about sexually abusing children.

Lee Arthurs, 36, entered an online chat room and unwittingly told an undercover officer about his abuse of children.

Ipswich Crown Court heard between September 2011 and May 2019, Arthurs had viewed more than 2,500 illicit images.

He used chat rooms to send the images on to others, including the distribution of 16 of the most serious category A images in September 2017.

The court heard Arthurs was arrested in May 2018 while living in Colchester.

He told police he had worked as a voluntary first responder and had spent 20 years collecting for the Royal British Legion poppy appeal.

He joined the ambulance service in 2009.

In 2019, while on bail, Arthurs groomed a 14-year-old girl and arranged a meeting at a hotel.

The court heard she wanted to leave, but he persuaded her to stay before engaging in sexual activity with her.

He was also in touch with a teenage girl in America, persuading her to send him indecent images of herself.

Arthurs, of London Road, Ipswich, admitted six offences of making indecent photographs of children, attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity, two offences of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, distributing indecent images of children, meeting a child following sexual grooming and sexual activity with a child.

The court heard Arthurs suffered a head injury in a crash in 2017 which he said contributed to his offending.

Sentencing Arthurs to 11 years and six months behind bars, Judge Martyn Levett said: “You knew when you were viewing these images that they perpetuate the abuse of children, the removal of their innocence, the destruction of their childhood and the loss of their ability to lead constructive lives in the future.”

He added: “You have written to me a letter which is carefully worded, setting out with clarity your acceptance of your guilt.

“I certainly think you have now come to terms with the harm caused to others by your offending, despite the fact you maintain your head injury contributed to your behaviour.”

Before he was sent down, the Arthurs said to the judge: “Thank you for your patience and your leniency."