Latest Offenders

Description

A CARLISLE sex offender previously described as “dangerous” is back behind bars after he set up secret online accounts.

Registered sex offender Joshua Watson, 26, has already served a jail term for failing to comply with a sexual harm prevention order that means he has to notify the police of his online accounts.

At Carlisle Crown Court, he admitted four new offences. The defendant, of Beaumont Road, Carlisle, pleaded guilty to:

• Breaching his sexual harm prevention order in July by possessing an internet enabled device with a WhatsApp application which featured an “auto delete” function for messages.
• And three counts of failing to comply with his obligation under the Sex Offender Register by failing to disclose to the police his usernames online accounts he had set up. All three breaches - one for each of the social media accounts involved - were committed on dates between June 30 and July 24.

His defence barrister said Watson’s primary mitigation was his prompt guilty pleas to the four offences.

In January last year, Watson was recalled to prison for illegally acquiring a mobile phone and setting up a Snapchat account without telling the police.

He committed that offence a year after he was sentenced for downloading dozens of indecent child images and at the time he was awaiting sentence for buying alcohol for teenage girls and making sexual suggestions to them.

Watson was put on the Sex Offender Register for a decade. This requires that he must inform the police of any online accounts he opens or uses, and reveal the relevant username.

He must also register with the police all his internet enabled devices with the police within three days of acquiring them.

All his devices must be fitted with police monitoring software and be capable of displaying internet history.

In the January offending last year, police found a mobile phone he had failed to register with them after visiting Watson at his home. He claimed a relative gave it to him the day before and he planned to inform the police the next day.

But when police examined the phone, it was immediately apparent that Watson acquired the phone much earlier than he said. Watson then claimed he had simply forgotten to tell police about the phone.

He then blamed his failure to tell the police about the phone on “stress” linked to his parents’ splitting up and the death of his dog.

The prosecutor in that case told the court:  “The police take the view that he’s a dangerous offender and obviously these are serious offences, committed very shortly after he was released."

Description

A Northumberland man has been jailed for carrying out sexual offences against two underage girls and possessing child sexual abuse images.

Callum Hall chatted to one underage girl on social media and "pressured" her into sending him naked pictures of herself. He then coerced the girl into having sex with him and made comments saying he would show people her pictures if she didn't comply.

Hall committed offences against a second underage girl as well, and led her into woods before gripping her neck and asking her to perform a sexual act on him. The 21-year-old was also found to be in possession of indecent images of children and extreme pornography - some images he had depicted babies being abused.

On Friday, Hall, of Newlyn Drive, Cramlington, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court to be sentenced for causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of making indecent images, three counts of sexual activity with a child, and breach of a sexual risk order. The offences were committed when Hall was under the age of 18, but was significantly older than the victims.

The court heard that Hall met one of the girls on Snapchat, and "pressured" her to send him naked pictures and videos of herself - which she did. Glenn Gatland, prosecuting, said: "The defendant was pressuring her to send pictures of herself. She complied for him [and sent pictures] on a live Snapchat feed."

What the girl didn't know, was that Hall had used software to save the pictures and videos and then told her to meet him for sex, otherwise he would "show people". The court was told that the girl then met Hall on three occasions and they had sex.

During separate offending, Hall struck up a conversation with a second girl and "encouraged her to walk into the woods". Mr Gatland said: "He put his hands around her neck."

Mr Gatland said that while in the woods, the girl fell over and cut her hand, with some of her blood staining Hall's shirt. He then asked the girl to carry out a sexual act on him as "compensation" - which ultimately did not happen.

The court was told that between 2017 and 2022, Hall was also in possession of indecent images of children. He had 67 category A images, which included babies being sexually abused. He also had 78 category B, and 63 category C images. He had also used "key words" to search online for child sexual abuse images and also had extreme pornography in his collection.

At one stage, Hall was made subject of a sexual risk order - which involved certain prohibitions. But he breached that order when he struck up a conversation with a teenage girl on Snapchat in 2022. His breach came to light when the girl's mother saw his messages and reported it.

Shaun Routledge, defending, said Hall demonstrates a level of immaturity and "didn't have much of a start in life". He said: "He has difficulties that seem to be [related to] ADHD and autism. He has high levels of anxiety and poor decision making."

Mr Routledge said that despite the age gap between Hall and his victims, he was "operating nearer their age than his actual age" and lives in an "isolated world". He added Hall was "extremely remorseful" and that a pre-sentence report advised he would be "extremely vulnerable" in a prison environment.

Sentencing Hall, Recorder Mark McKone KC said his sexual offending was "persistent" and jailed him for 26 months. He was made subject of a 10 year sexual harm prevention order and will be on the sex offender register for 10 years.

Description

A former Spandau Ballet singer from Aberdeen has been unmasked as a “prolific predatory” sex offender after being found guilty of rape, sexual assault and voyeurism.

Ross William Wild, whose real name is Ross Davidson, was found guilty of a string of sickening offences which the depraved singer had video recorded on his mobile phone.

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A man from Birmingham has been jailed for 21 years for rapes against a woman and historic rape and sexual abuse of two children.

Marcus Newton’s vile offending came to light after his three brave victims came forward.

The 27-year-old, from Aston, was jailed at Wolverhampton Crown Court on July 26 following a trial.

As well as being jailed for 21 years he was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

He was found guilty of two charges of raping a child under 13, one charge of sexually assaulting a child under 13 and three charges of rape.

Newton’s sexual offending was brought to light when one of his brave victims contacted us to say that he had been raped by Newton.

He told us how Newton’s actions had a massive impact on his mental health and he was having suicidal thoughts. He told us the offending took place when he was a young boy.

As a result of the first victim contacting us two more victims also came forward. One was a woman who said she had been raped by Newton back in 2018 and 2019.

Another woman also came forward to say she had been raped by him over a period of four years while she was still a child. We analysed footage on her phone which included messages and pictures sent by him to corroborate her story.

Description

A 66-year-old man has been jailed for five years for historic sexual offences against children in Stirling.

Peter McCormick was sentenced today (Monday, 5 August, 2024) at Glasgow High Court for the sexual assault of four boys, who were each under the age of 13, in Stirling between 1978 and 1996.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

McCormick was previously found guilty of four charges of Lewd and Libidinous practices at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday, 28 May, 2024.

Description

A PAEDOPHILE said to a 15-year-old schoolgirl that he was going to have sex with her and told her to meet him near a Morrisons supermarket.

Osman Mohamed lied to his victim he was the same age as her before sexually assaulting her by touching her bottom after he had been drinking.

The 36-year-old defendant went up to the girl, a stranger, in the Bargoed area of Caerphilly after he had taken a train there from Cardiff.

Christopher Evans, prosecuting, said the victim no longer feels safe in the area where she lives.

Mohamed was found guilty by a jury following a trial of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and sexual assault.

He had denied the offences which took place on the summer bank holiday of 2021 on Monday, August 30.

Mohamed, of Taff Embankment, Grangetown, Cardiff had a previous conviction for drink driving.

Harry Baker representing the defendant asked for the inevitable prison sentence “to be kept as short as possible”.

Sentencing Mohamed at Cardiff Crown Court, the judge, Recorder Caroline Rees KC told him: “You drank alcohol and the victim assessed you to be drunk.

“You approached the victim who was just 15 who was with her friend and you hugged her.

“You touched her to the area of her bottom over her clothing.

“She told you she was only 15, you said you were 15, although she very quickly assessed that you were talking rubbish and that you were obviously older.

“The police were called a short time later and you were detained in Bargoed.”

Recorder Rees added: “You continue to deny your responsibility for the offences and that remains your position today.

“It follows that you demonstrate no insight or remorse for the behaviour of which the jury were sure you were guilty of.”

Mohamed, who followed proceedings with the help of an Arabic translator, was jailed for 15 months.

He will serve half of that time in custody and any time spent in custody will count towards his sentence.

The defendant will have to register as a sex offender for the next 10 years although he was told he faces the prospect of being deported from the UK.

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A foot fetishist and serial sex offender breached a court order just a month after being released from prison.

Luke Merry, 30, was jailed for 18 months in 2019 after Leeds Crown Court heard he how he had committed two charges of sexual assault on a child under 13 and one offence of voyeurism at a Vue cinema.

He had also previously been convicted of outraging public decency by sitting under a desk that was being used by a female and performing a sex act and performing a sex act while looking at images of women's feet.

On Tuesday, Sheffield Crown Court heard how Merry, of Lakeside Boulevard, Lakeside, Doncaster, was released from his last sentence in December last year and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which he breached in January. Prosecutor Richard Sheldon said it was then that he "disclosed he had a laptop and produced a phone and gaming computer.

"In February 2024, he failed to notify the police with a change of address and accepted a conditional caution and agreed to take a polygraph test. The police visited him to check the internet enabled devices and he handed over a number. He was asked about hard drives as the officers could see them in a drawer."

Officers, the court heard, recorded Merry having 17 internet enabled devices. Only three of those were registered. A phone was also found to have Snapchat on, with a username of lukemerry93 on the application. There was also 366 items - including emails - in a deleted folder on the phone. Merry was prohibited from deleting any internet history.

Cheryl Dudley, mitigating, told the court "a lot of information" had been handed to the court, including a psychiatric report and pre-sentence report. She said the probation service required Merry to have a formal assessment for autism and he had been recalled to prison and then remanded into custody since April this year.

Ms Dudley added: "There is room for rehabilitation and the opportunity for rehabilitation that could be grasped...There are factors that support the conclusion that he has autism." The court heard Merry had admitted failing to comply with notification requirements, breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and deleting internet history.

His Honour Judge Reeds KC jailed Merry for 14 months and told him: "You were not long out of prison when you breached your Sexual Harm Prevention Order and notification requirements.

"You were cautioned in February 2024 about being in breach of those requirements. That was a warning but you nevertheless continued to ignore the requirements of that order. You knew what you must not do. It was written down for you and you did it any way."

Description

Nigel Reeson, 58, began sexually assaulting the young girl in 1994, with the abuse taking place on regular occasions until the early 2000s.

Cambs police said Reeson sexually touched the girl on multiple occasions, including one instance when he got into a bath with her.

In 2010, Reeson sexually assaulted another girl at her home.

A force spokesperson explained: “Last year the victims reported what had happened and Reeson was arrested at his home in Abbots Drive, Crowland, near Peterborough.

“He admitted six counts of indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 14, inciting a girl under 16 years of age to commit an act of gross indecency and assaulting a girl by touching.”

On Friday, July 26, at Cambridge Crown Court he was jailed for three years and eight months.

DC Anna-Mae Dawson commented: “Reeson subjected the first victim to a prolonged period of awful abuse, before assaulting another girl.

“I’d like to commend the victims for the strength they showed in reporting what had happened. Once again, this case shows that time is not a barrier to bringing perpetrators of abuse to justice. If you’ve been a victim of abuse, I’d encourage you to report what happened.”

Description

A former secondary school teacher who admitted downloading hundreds of indecent photos and videos of children performing sex acts has been handed a suspended sentence.

Joshua Pope, of Lancaster Gardens, Plymouth, pleaded guilty at Plymouth Magistrates' Court on June 11 to three charges - namely making indecent photos of children of category A, B and C, with A being the most serious and depraved.

The prosecutor told Plymouth Crown Court today how police received information that a Dropbox account linked to 26-year-old Pope was associated with images of child sexual abuse. On March 8, 2023 police attended his home, Pope was arrested and a number of electronic devices were seized including an Apple iPhone, a second iPhone, a hard drive and an Apple Mac Pro with a damaged screen.

The court was told investigators found 276 images of Category A - with 210 being moving images. They also found 214 Category B images, of which 127 were moving and 296 Category C with 25 moving images. Police found images were downloaded over a period of many years up until March 5, 2023.

During police interview Pope claimed he had "stumbled" onto the photos "by accident" and then had immediately deleted them, but over the last two years he had begun to click on links he knew he could find indecent images of children. Pope insisted to police he had "no sexual interest in children" and the images had been downloaded "out of boredom and loneliness" and that he had "felt desensitised to it". He also accepted he had downloaded more vile material just a week before his arrest.

At his second police interview on November 30, 2023 following further investigation he accepted the accounts were his and while he did not think he had stored any of the images he accepted they were on his account.

The court heard the 27-year-old had no previous convictions or cautions to his name and was effectively of good character.

In mitigation, his advocate Ed Bailey said the knock on the door by the police had been an "wake up call" and that his clients "obsession for searching for indecent images of children had got way out of control, especially during the isolation of the pandemic". He said that Pope felt "relieved that he had been finally been caught and his secret was out in the open" and that he had been "able to deal with his sense of shame upon his family finding out".

Mr Bailey said that Pope had "immediately lost his job which was a decent one as a secondary school teacher". Mr Bailey said his client took voluntary steps, paying for six month's one-to-one therapy an engaged with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and the Stop It Now organisation in an attempt to address his underlying predilection in viewing "this type of material".

Mr Bailey said while his client has denied a sexual interest in children, he said the judge would recognise this as a "familiar feature with offenders of this nature" and he would be working on this.

He said Pope had now secured new employment as a "self-employed journalist and copywriter".

Judge Peter Johnson told Pope the reason some of the types of imagery he was found in possession of was read out - such as children being sexually penetrated - was for the 26-year-old to appreciate "exactly what it is you have been doing".

He told Pope: "You have been a party to the sexual abuse of children by creating the demand which leads to these children being abused. It causes them long term harm, not only physical for screamingly obvious reasons but also psychological. It affects their mental health massively. It affects their ability to form relationships. In short, the damage is enduring and is generally permanent".

Judge Johnson KC told Pope any doubts he had about this damage would be "dispelled" over the next two years as he participated in an accredited programme.

Taking into account the aggravating and mitigating factors and the sentencing guidelines, Judge Johnson noted how Pope had lost his job as a schoolteacher which he had spent some time training for, adding that there was "no doubt the public would say 'quite right too'."

He handed Pope a eight month jail sentence, suspended for two years, saying there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. He ordered him to be under a supervision requirement for two years and attend an accredited sex offender programme lasting 42 days which would require him to look "deep inside your soul" and take steps to ensure he never became involved in this offence again.

He also ordered Pope to complete up to 15 Rehabilitation Acrtivity Requirement days and carry out 100 hours unpaid work. Judge Johnson also approved an application for a Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting 10 years and said Pope would be informed by the Disclosure and Barring Service that he would be barred from working in future with children and vulnerable adults.

Description

Two men have been sentenced as part of a long-running investigation into the sexual abuse and trafficking of girls in West Yorkshire.

Ebrahim Pandor was jailed for six years for trafficking a girl when she was aged 13.

Another man, Amjad Hussain, was jailed for 10 years in his absence for raping the same girl when she was 18. West Yorkshire Police said efforts to locate Hussain were continuing.

The sentences meant 28 men in total had been jailed as part of Operation Tourway, police said.

The operation has been investigating the sexual abuse and trafficking of eight females in north Kirklees between 1999 and 2012.

Pandor, 44, of Highdale Road and Hussain, 45, of Lee Street, Ravensthorpe were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court earlier.

Police said as part of the operation, jail terms totalling almost 400 years had been given out to the 28 men.

The force said during trials, jurors had "heard repeated stories about how vulnerable victims were targeted and groomed by their abusers who treated them almost as commodities".

Speaking about Hussain, Det Ch Insp Oliver Coates said: “Clearly it is a matter of regret that Hussain was sentenced in his absence today and inquiries do continue to locate this convicted sex offender.

“Officers have been working with partner agencies to locate him and are keeping an open mind as to his whereabouts."

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The man who shared indecent images of children with ex-BBC presenter Huw Edwards was 25-year-old convicted paedophile Alex Williams, the Metropolitan Police said.

The force said Williams pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing category A, B and C images as well as possessing prohibited images of children. He was sentenced to a suspended 12-month jail sentence at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on March 15.

Police said an investigation into Edwards began after a phone seized by officers as part of an unrelated probe revealed the broadcaster’s participation in a WhatsApp conversation.

Earlier today the former BBC presenter pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children at Westminster Magistrates' Court this morning (July 31). The veteran broadcaster admitted to having 41 of the images on WhatsApp, including seven of the most serious type.

The court was told how Edwards had seven category A images on his WhatsApp - the most severe. The estimated age of most of the children in these pictures was between 13 and 15, but one was aged between seven and nine, the court was told.

He had 12 category B images and 22 category C. The final indecent image was sent to Edwards in August 2021, a category A film featuring a young boy.

The court heard how the presenter had been involved in online chat with an adult man on WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021, who sent him 377 sexual images. 41 of these were the indecent images of children.

As the final category A film was sent, the man told Edwards that the boy was quite young looking, and that he had more images which were illegal. Edwards told him not to send any illegal images, the court heard.

No more were sent, and the pair continued to exchange legal pornographic images until April 2022. Edwards appeared at court today wearing a dark suit, blue tie and sunglasses.

The 62-year-old spoke to confirm his name, date of birth, address and his guilty pleas at the start of the hearing on Wednesday. After entering his pleas, Edwards sat staring into the distance, with his head tilted slightly upwards, and adjusted his tie as Ian Hope, prosecuting, laid out the case against him.

Speaking in Edwards’ defence, his barrister Philip Evans KC said: "There’s no suggestion in this case that Mr Edwards has… in the traditional sense of the word, created any image of any sort. It is important also to remember for context that devices, Mr Edwards’ devices, have been seized, have been searched, and there’s nothing in those devices.

"It is only the images that are the subject of the charges that came via a WhatsApp chat. Mr Edwards did not keep any images, did not send any to anyone else and did not and has not sought similar images from anywhere else.”

Edwards was bailed. He will be sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on September 16.

A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC is shocked to hear the details which have emerged in court today. There can be no place for such abhorrent behaviour and our thoughts are with all those affected.

“The police have confirmed that the charges are not connected to the original complaint raised with the BBC in the summer of 2023, nevertheless in the interests of transparency we think it important to set out some points about events of the last year.

“In November 2023, whilst Mr Edwards was suspended, the BBC as his employer at the time was made aware in confidence that he had been arrested on suspicion of serious offences and released on bail whilst the police continued their investigation. At the time, no charges had been brought against Mr Edwards and the BBC had also been made aware of significant risk to his health.

“Today we have learnt of the conclusion of the police process in the details as presented to the court. If at any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged, the BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him. In the end, at the point of charge he was no longer an employee of the BBC.

“During this period, in the usual way, the BBC has kept its corporate management of these issues separate from its independent editorial functions. We want to reiterate our shock at Mr Edwards’ actions and our thoughts remain with all those affected.”

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A CONVICTED paedophile was caught staying with a Barrow mum and her children, a court heard.

Aaron Pollard was jailed for 27 months at Swansea Crown Court in March 2019 for sexually assaulting an underage girl after plying her with alcohol and cannabis.

The 28-year-old admitted breaching the terms of his ten-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and for failing to comply with notification requirements.

Prosecutor Ellie McManus told Preston Crown Court Pollard had been in regular contact with the mother’s young daughter in Barrow this year.

She said the defendant shouted to the mother: ‘You do not know me, you have never seen me before babe’, as he was arrested.

The court heard Pollard had been in a sexual relationship with the mother after originally communicating via Snapchat.

Ms McManus told the court the defendant was homeless and that he would either sleep on the streets or in his car.

She said the defendant would stay at the woman’s address for a few hours but never overnight and that he had contact with her daughter regularly on a daily basis.

The court heard Pollard was also at a party where girls aged between seven and ten-years-old were present.

Ms McManus added he would drive her daughter to school on occasions while she was in the car and that he would make attempts to avoid the police in Barrow.  

She said Pollard had failed to inform the mother that he was a registered sex offender.

The prosecution said the victim was ‘shocked’ and ‘upset’ when discovering who the defendant was.

A police inquiry was launched after Pollard was arrested outside McDonald’s on Dalton Road on May 2 this year for being drunk and disorderly, the court heard.

Officers attended his registered mother’s address who revealed her son had not been at the address address since April 19 this year.

In mitigation, Emma Keogh said her client’s offending began after Christmas last year after the breakdown of a relationship where his son was taken into the care of social services.

Ms Keogh said: “He turned to alcohol as a clutch and his behaviour worsened.

“He began speaking with another woman online and their relationship progressed quickly. He found himself in Barrow with no money and unable to get back to Swansea because his car had broken down.

“He knows he should have gone to the police and told them about the situation, but he buried his head in the sand.

“He regrets his actions and has already had three months in custody to reflect on the ramifications.

“His mother is now very ill and requires the help and assistance from her son. He very much wants to be rehabilitated.

"I urge you to consider suspending the sentence of imprisonment today.

However, His Honour Judge Graham Knowles said he was left with no other option but to jail Pollard for 18 months.

Passing sentence, Judge Knowles said: “In cases similar to this, women sometimes know of a man’s history, but in this case you did not tell her the truth at all.

"You deceived the mother and her four children. You were present in her house more than you care to admit.”

“You are deemed to pose a high risk of reoffending and you are deemed to be of serious harm to the public.

"This was clearly a persistent breach. I cannot say there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, nor do you have particularly strong personal mitigation.

“The reality is, this is clearly a case where appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody.”

Description

An online sex offender has been jailed after downloading and sharing hundreds of ‘horrific’ child sexual abuse images.

Paul Smith, aged 41, came to the attention of Nottinghamshire Police when his IP address was linked to illicit images and videos stored on an online file sharing site.

When he was arrested in February 2022, Smith admitted to using the site to access images of adults, but also made voluntary reference to ‘child porn’ – saying that he made a point of instantly deleting any such images.

Officers then began a more detailed search of his then home address in  Grimston Road, Radford, and seized electronic devices.

Forensic examination of his mobile phone confirmed his use of the file sharing site and uncovered multiple prohibited images.

It also contained a damning history from use of an online chat application in which he shared and viewed hundreds of links to images and videos featuring children and babies.

Most of the images were graded as Category A – depicting the most serious sexual abuse of children by adults.

Smith, of Radford, initially denied any wrongdoing but later pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing indecent images of children and three counts of making indecent photographs of children.

He also admitted to possessing a prohibited image of a child, and possessing an extreme pornographic image of an animal.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday (29 July) he was given a seven year extended prison sentence and added to the sex offenders’ register for life.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order that will tightly restrict his access to children and the internet once he is released.

Description

A convicted sex offender made a bomb threat to the police after he breached an order preventing him from having unmonitored access to the internet. He told a 999 operative: "If I light this I don't have to go to court and I don't have to go to prison."

Kynon Crisp, 18, of Cardiff, made a 999 call on June 16 and told the operator a friend had made a "canister bomb" which he was going to ignite. The defendant said: "My mate is good at explosives and he's made me a canister bomb and I am tempted to light this. He told me to put it under the gas line which will make the gas explode, kill me, and blow up the flat."

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court heard Crisp told the operator the bomb would "go bang" when heated and said: "If I light this I don't have to go to court and I don't have to go to prison."

Police attended the defendant's home in Tudor Street, Riverside, where they found a block of deodorant cans tied to each other and covered in wax. Crisp was arrested and taken into police custody.

Prosecutor Alice Sykes said the defendant was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years after he was convicted of sexual assault and voyeurism. Prior to the bomb hoax incident Crisp had attended Cardiff Bay police station as part of his conditions but was found to have downloaded a VPN on a new phone in order to mask his IP address and watch pornography.

Crisp later pleaded guilty to making a bomb hoax and breaching a sexual harm prevention order. In mitigation Ruth Smith said her client was a "complex individual" with learning difficulties and had the understanding of a 12-year-old. She said the defendant had a difficult start in life and was placed into care at the age of nine years old.

Judge Daniel Williams sentenced Crisp to a total of six months imprisonment. The defendant will serve half the sentence in custody before he is released to serve the remainder on licence.

Description

A paedophile sent videos of himself performing a sex act to someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl – but he was speaking to an undercover member of the police force. He also asked the decoy for naked images of herself.

Hywell Hardman, 31, of Bridgend, sent messages to the decoy on Snapchat between February 8 and 13 this year using an account with a false name. He claimed to be 17 years old and the decoy told him she was just 13.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Thursday heard the defendant asked the decoy for a picture and an image of a girl aged about 13 was sent back. He said he would like to see more photos of her while she was in school and asked her about the colour of her underwear.

Prosecutor Matthew Comer said Hardman asked the decoy for naked pictures and to send intimate images of herself. He sent photographs and videos of himself which included his penis and of him performing a sex act. The language used was sexual in nature.

Hardman, of Stormy Down, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause/incite a child to watch an image of sexual activity. The court heard he was of previous good character.

In mitigation Ruth Smith said her client left school with no qualifications and had had difficulty in the past with bullying. He was in a relationship when he carried out the offences and is a father-of-two who now only has supervised contact with his children.

Sentencing, Judge Daniel Williams said the offences were "too serious to be dealt with by anything other than an immediate custodial sentence". Hardman was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and was made subject to sex offender notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.