AN American living in Kenilworth took part in an internet exchange in which he tried to encourage the sexual abuse of the other man’s young sister online.
Chase Heltzel also exchanged images of children being sexually abused, Warwick Crown Court has heard.
Heltzel (29) of School Lane, Kenilworth, at the time, pleaded guilty to attempting to arrange or facilitate the sexual abuse of a child, three charges of making indecent images of children, and one of distributing such images.
Now of Kensington Road, Coventry – after his wife-to-be ended their relationship over the offences – he was jailed for ten months and ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years.
Prosecutor Gerry Bermingham said police were called to the flat in October last year.
A number of items were seized, including a laptop, and they found indecent movies and pictures of children.
Some of the footage and images were classed as being in the most serious category A.
There was also evidence of indecent images having been sent to other people.
But of even more concern were online chats Heltzel had engaged in with someone called Ozguy85, during which Heltzel fantasised about a young girl having sex with her older brother.
Later he asked whether there was anything Ozguy85 could shock him with, he replied: “Young kids under 11.”
There was talk about sex acts Ozguy85 said he had committed with his younger sister, to which Heltzel responded: “I would love to see you with your sis some time.”
Following further discussion of what it was proposed would take place, he was told: “You can tell me what to do with her.” And Heltel’s reaction was: “Amazing.”
Of the ongoing conversation, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC observed: “These two men are discussing abusing a child in the most appalling way.”
Of Heltzel, Mr Davenport said: “He knows there’s a chink in his nature which causes him to behave in this way. He has been seeking counselling on a weekly basis, paid for privately.”
Asking the judge to pass a suspended sentence, he said Heltzel, whose retired teacher father had flown from America to support him, was ‘a highly intelligent individual’ who was completing his doctorate in this country.
But Judge Lockhart told Heltzel: “You were arrested from your home. You were there with your partner who is now lost to you; and you were due to be married, which is now lost to you.
“You do understand that this type of behaviour you have engaged in does have victims, and real victims. Those images on the internet find their way onto numerous computers of people who have the same proclivities that you do.
“Most concerning is the conversation you had with a man called Ozguy85, him having a sister he was raping who was eight.
“You were interested in that, and there were images exchanged. Whether or not they were images of that child, I don’t know, but I find myself driven to conclude that in all likelihood, they were real images.
“You had proclivities towards the serious abuse and rape of children of tender years.”
