A sex offender from Deal who stored and shared images of himself abusing a young victim has been jailed.
Joshua Mumby, 29, admitted to sexually assaulting a child after originally claiming the images had been manipulated.
Kent Police was alerted to his offending in August 2025, when he was found to have uploaded multiple indecent images online and discussed the sexual abuse of children with other internet users.
An investigation by specialist detectives from the force was immediately launched, during which it was established that Mumby had carried out the sexual abuse depicted in the uploaded images.
He was arrested on 21 August 2025. Further enquiries, which included the examination of digital forensic evidence, found that Mumby had stored more than two hundred indecent images on his mobile phone of his own crimes.
He was charged the day after his arrest and, after originally pleading not guilty to sexual assault, changed his plea before canterbury/" title="Canterbury" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Canterbury Crown Court.
Mumby, formerly of Freemens Way, was convicted of three counts of sexual assault and two counts of taking indecent images of children.
He was sentenced at the same court on Thursday 30 April 2026 to a ten-year extended sentence, which included six and a half years’ imprisonment, with three and a half years to be served on licence when he becomes eligible for parole.
The offender will be subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will need to fulfil notification requirements for the sex offender register for life.
Detective Constable Claire Hall said: ‘This is a deeply disturbing case involving the exploitation of a vulnerable young victim and the sickening behaviour of a depraved individual. The swift work of our specialist officers, whose investigation uncovered the full extent of Mumby’s crimes, should be commended.
‘I’m pleased that this dangerous sexual predator is behind bars and that the restrictions in place at the end of his custodial sentence will serve to safeguard against future offending.
‘I also want to send a clear message to anyone who thinks they can commit offences like this online: you cannot hide behind a screen. We have the capability and determination to track you down, identify you and bring you before the courts. If you are involved in sharing or creating indecent images, you should expect to be made to face the consequences of your crimes.’
