County Durham and Stockton men jailed for overseas child abuse plans

Carl Simmons, 51, and Kevin Smith, 42, are behind bars after booking flights and planning to sexually abuse young children overseas.

But NEROCU and Durham Police’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team arrested the pair before they could travel.

Simmons and Smith made their online arrangements to sexually abuse and rape children abroad, last autumn.

Both men used sexually explicit language, and Simmons sent sexual images of himself.

Carl Simmons jailed over plan to travel abroad to sexually abuse children

But they did not realise they were speaking to a police officer whose colleagues were closing in on them.

Simmons and Smith were arrested in October 2025 and charged with arranging the commission of a child sex offence.

They later pleaded guilty and were sentenced at Teesside Crown Court today (Monday September 21).

Simmons, of Tilery Close, Bowburn, near Durham, and Smith, of Grangefield Road, Stockton, were each sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.

Kevin Smith also jailed over plan to fly abroad to abuse children

They were each also made subject of 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Georgina Lewis, said: “Both Simmons and Smith made their vile desires very clear, and their actions demonstrated the lengths they would go and the money they would pay to sexually abuse children.

“They’ll now face the consequences of their actions thanks to the hard work of officers.

“We would urge anyone who has been a victim of this type of offending, or has concerns about someone’s behaviour, to come forward and talk to police.

“Support is available and you can help safeguard other vulnerable children.”