A DISTRAUGHT mother whose 14-year-old daughter was targeted by a sexual predator on Facebook has warned parents to be “extra careful”.

The woman, from Taunton, was speaking after “sex mad” Jeremy Pond, 24, was jailed for five years.

Pond, a former student at Bishop Fox’s School, admitted 14 charges of sex offences against seven different girls and was sentenced last week.

Worcester Crown Court heard how the pervert used Facebook to make contact with girls aged between 12 and 15.

He had sex with one of his victims, aged 15, and engaged in sexual activity with others.

Speaking after the case, the mother of one of the victims told the County Gazette: “He’s sick and twisted.

“I didn’t know my daughter had been involved until the police told me. It has made me think about where she is at all times.

“In time she’ll move on, but I don't think I’ll ever be able to get over it.”

Pond, who grew up in Taunton, but lived in Worcester when police caught him, was caught when another Facebook user raised the alarm after seeing messages on the site.

Prosecutor Alex Warren told the court Pond told a 12-year-old girl he was “sex mad” before asking her to send “dirty pictures” of herself.

The court heard Pond was arrested in October and admitted sleeping with a girl of 15 he met via the internet and grooming another 15-year-old.

He assaulted a 14-year-old girl he met on Facebook and took to his home, and incited another 14-year-old to send him naked pictures of herself.

Another 14-year-old girl was sent sexual messages and Pond incited another 14-year-old to engage in sexual activity, the court heard.

Barry Newton, defending, said Pond was of previous good character and fathered two children at a young age.

He said Pond had no hobbies and had an adolescent approach to sex.

Judge Patrick Thomas jailed Pond for five years, banned him from contacting children online and ordered himto register as a sex offender for life.

After the case the mother said she was disappointed Pond had been jailed for only five years, adding: “I was so angry I had to leave court and cry – for what he did to those girls, what he got was not enough.

“My advice to anyone else out there is just be careful, and if your children don’t know who they are speaking to then stop them.”

Tips to keep your children safe on social media:

  • Know your child's Facebook password - what your children say or do online can have a lasting impact on their reputation and their safety so if they are on social media you should know their password.
  • Be their ' Facebook friend' - As a parent you need to know what's going on in their lives online like you would in real life so by being their 'friend' there's no better way to see what they are upto.
  • Monitor their friend list - This does not mean stalk who you're children are interacting with but to give them common advice on who to be friends with and who not to be friends with online so they haven't met any strangers.
  • Manage their privacy settings carefully - The goal of Facebook is to help people connect so they prefer users to be as open as possible. For children, you should consider being much more restrictive than you would be for adults.
  • Keep up with Facebook features - There are lots of additions to Facebook such as check-ins and facial recognition so friends can see where each other are but with children these can be questionable technology.