A man has been jailed for a year by the Supreme Court following an investigation by the Royal Gibraltar Police into online child sex offences. 

Nicholas Whiffen, 43, of Ocean Heights, pleaded guilty to two counts of Attempted Sexual Communication with a Child and was sentenced yesterday (14 February).

Whiffen was arrested on Fish Market Lane at around 5:40am on the 11th of November 2024 by detectives from the RGP’s Safeguarding Team.

The court heard that Whiffen had posed as a 19-year-old on online chat platforms and sent explicit photos to 14-year-olds.

He sent messages asking for sex and asking to meet in a hotel.

However, Whiffen was actually speaking to undercover adults working for a UK-based child protection team. 

The information was shared with the RGP, who launched an investigation and found Whiffen by tracing his IP address. 

The RGP are seeking a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which will be heard in court at a later date.