Exeter child sex offender jailed

Eddie Howard sentence to over four years

A Devon child sex offender who groomed and arranged to meet, who he believed was a 14-year-old child, despite being subject to court orders in relation to similar offending has been jailed for four years and two months. 

26-year-old Eddie Howard from Exeter, was caught by a paedophile hunter group earlier this year who then called Police who attended and arrested him.

Mr Howard appeared at Exeter Crown Court for sentence on Wednesday 13 May after previously pleading guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, causing a child aged 13-15 to watch a sexual act and breach of a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard how between 9 December 2025 and 6 January 2026 Howard engaged in online communications with who he believed was a 14-year-old boy using a friendship app and then Whatsapp.

However, he was actually speaking to members of a well-known paedophile hunter group. 

Mr Howard soon turned the conversation sexual and sent a string of inappropriate messages and also sent a video of a male – believed to be himself – performing a sex act.

On 7 January members of the hunter group arranged to meet Howard. They attended Exeter Quay and located Mr Howard nearby.

Police were then called and officers attended and arrested him.

He has previous convictions for similar offending and was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and suspended sentence at the time.