Edward Gratwick, 68, was arrested at Stansted Airport on March 7 as he attempted to board a flight to Bucharest, Romania, after discussing plans to drug and sexually abuse a nine-year-old girl with another individual online.
National Crime Agency officers acted quickly to prevent Gratwick leaving the country, with overseas officers arresting the individual he was communicating with; Gratwick was found guilty on Friday at Guildford Crown Court.
Investigators later discovered thousands of encrypted messages on his devices outlining his sexual fantasies and offers to facilitate sex with children.
Danielle Pownall, Senior Investigating Officer at the NCA said: “The chat logs recovered from Edward Gratwick’s devices are some of the worst seen by specialist child abuse investigators at the NCA.
“Gratwick has continually denied the offences he faced, despite overwhelming and indisputable evidence, which shows his lack of remorse and disregard for the safety and welfare of children.
“I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the members of jury, who over the last six weeks have considered distressing evidence which no-one should ever have to hear.”
Work is ongoing to identify Gratwick was communicating with, messages sent by the paedophile bragging about access he said he had to young girls aged between six and ten, touting himself as a pimp and recommending the use of GHB and rohypnol as “a good rape drug.”
He also possessed more than 1,300 indecent images of children, 632 of them being category A depicting the most severe sexual abuse.
He is due to be sentenced on 28 November at Guildford Crown Court on charges including arranging or attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, distributing indecent images of children and possessing indecent images of children.
Robbie Weber, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said: “The abuse Edward Gratwick described inflicting on young children with other like-minded individuals was abhorrent.
“It was clear from the evidence that he was intent on harming and abusing children and was willing to pay significant sums of money to do it. Not content with satisfying his own sexual desires, he also advised and encouraged others how they could commit equally horrific crimes.
“All children have the right to feel safe and protected and I hope this conviction sends a clear message that the CPS, working closely alongside law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue justice and prosecute those who seek to sexually exploit children.”
