A former British Army soldier has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted of attempting to arrange the sexual abuse of two children, including a 10-month-old baby.
Graham Jarvis, 38, was serving with the Household Cavalry and living at military barracks in Hyde Park, London, when he began communicating online with a woman he believed was the mother of two girls aged seven and 10 months.
According to evidence presented in court, Jarvis reached an agreement with the woman to sexually abuse the children and planned to travel from his London barracks to her home in Wales to carry out the offences.
However, the person he was communicating with was actually an undercover police officer posing as the children’s mother.
Jarvis was arrested in February 2024 after arranging a meeting with the supposed mother. He was subsequently prosecuted on two counts of attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence.
Following a trial, Jarvis was convicted despite denying the allegations. He was later discharged from the British Army.
At Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, September 10, Judge Adam Hiddleston sentenced him to 12 years in prison and ordered him to serve at least two-thirds of the sentence, meaning he must spend a minimum of eight years in custody before the remainder of his sentence is considered under the applicable arrangements.
The judge said Jarvis’s conduct went beyond online fantasy and that he genuinely believed the children existed.
Judge Hiddleston said the messages exchanged by Jarvis showed that he intended to meet the children and sexually assault them with the supposed assistance of their mother.
The judge also described Jarvis’s attitude towards the children as disturbing, saying his communications showed a willingness to regard them as objects for his sexual gratification.
The court heard that Jarvis started communicating with the undercover officer in January 2024. During their conversations, he asked questions about the older child’s previous sexual experiences and was told that she had previously been abused by two men.
In relation to the 10-month-old baby, Jarvis allegedly asked the supposed mother to assist him in carrying out the planned abuse.
His barrister, Lisa Wilson, told the court that Jarvis had been experiencing a difficult period in his life and was at a “low ebb” following what she described as a traumatic period.
Despite the mitigation presented on his behalf, the judge warned that Jarvis could continue to pose a risk to children.
In addition to the custodial sentence, Jarvis was ordered to remain under licence for a further two years after his release.
The case highlights how undercover police operations can be used to intervene when suspects attempt to arrange sexual offences against children online, preventing planned abuse before a child is harmed.
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