Record details
A âdangerous offenderâ was snared by paedophile hunters after trying to groom an â11-year-old girlâ online - including inviting her to meet with him at a hotel.
Louis Schon, 36, of Woodridge, Windmill Hill, Runcorn, exchanged a flurry of hundreds of messages with the supposed child on June 30, 2021, only to discover she was actually an adult decoy. Myles Wilson, prosecuting at Chester Crown Court sitting in magistratesâ court on Thursday (February 9), said Schon also sent naked pictures of himself to the âgirlâ as well as ârepeatedlyâ asking if they could have âsexâ.
He told the court the ânumerous sexual messagesâ included depraved enquiries such as what she was wearing under her school uniform. Schon asked for pictures of her and âthe decoy sent a photograph of an 11-year-old girlâ, reports the Liverpool Echo.
She later told Schon her phone camera wasnât working, and he sent a picture of âhimself with his chest exposedâ, and was âflirtatious and suggestiveâ with her. To one of his vile questions, the decoy replied âoh my daysâ as she tried to remain sounding âchildlikeâ.
Schon also asked for her phone number and sent more naked pictures of himself as well as trying to call her. He claimed he was in his early 20s and âlived nearbyâ and ârepeatedlyâ asked if she would âhave sexâ, as well as trying to incite her to perform a sex act.
The decoy âplayed alongâ and pretended to comply with the request. Paedophile Schon suggested meeting at a hotel and told the âgirlâ to âmake herself look older so he could take her outâ. He also sent her a pornographic video of a woman with âmultiple menâ. Mr Wilson said: âThere were hundreds of messages back and to that night.â
Schon messaged her the next morning to apologise then blocked the decoyâs account. It wasnât enough to stop the paedophile hunter group though, who went to his home address as did the police.
Schon was out and subsequently reported missing, only to be found by the police within 24 hours. Officers also discovered a shopping bag containing ânumerousâ pairs of childrenâs knickers in Schonâs bedroom as well as a phone internet history looking at childâs beachwear, some of which he saved as screenshots. In police interview, he answered âno commentâ.
At Chester Crown Court on January 4 this year, Schon pleaded guilty to attempted incitement of a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity involving penetration, attempted sexual communication with a child, and two counts of attempting to cause a child under 13 to watch an image of sexual activity.
The incitement charge was also referred to as attempted âfacilitationâ during the hearing. Mr Wilson noted the use of âgroomingâ, as well as the âsignificant disparity in ageâ. Schon had previous convictions including for indecent images of children.
Jeremy Rawson, appearing for Schon, said he agreed with the sentencing range stated by the prosecution and there were no objections to the proposed Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). He pleaded mitigation for Schonâs guilty pleas and said the messages occurred in a âmoment of madnessâ over a âshort period of timeâ and after Schon had consumed excess alcohol and cocaine, adding it was all âon the same night and to his credit he severed links with the decoy the following dayâ.
Mr Rawson said Schon lost his job as a self-employed tiler and became a ârecluseâ in Runcorn, and hadnât offended otherwise since 2012, adding Schon âbitterly regretsâ his actions.
Judge Michael Leeming branded Schon a "dangerous offender" and sentenced him to five years and three months in prison with four years on extended licence - making a total sentence of nine years and three months.
Schon will serve two thirds of the main custodial term before being considered for parole. Judge Leeming placed him on the sex offenders register and a SHPO for life or until further order.
He recounted the details of the case opening and noted the âgraphic sexual commentsâ made by Schon during the "sustained discussion", as well as what Cheshire Police officers found in his bedroom and on his phone, in addition to Schonâs previous six convictions for 12 offences and failure to comply with an order.
The judge said Schonâs probation report had been âlargely unfavourableâ, showing Schon tried to âminimiseâ his behaviour by blaming it on being âintoxicated with alcohol and drugsâ.
Judge Leeming said: âThe pre-sentence report indicated you completed the Better Lives programme by 2015. You were deterred from reoffending but that didnât put paid to your sexual interest in children as the current offences show, and the deterrent had certainly worn off by the time of these offences you committed in 2021.â
He added Schon holds âdeviant thoughtsâ and the messages to the decoy âmark a serious escalation in the seriousness of your offendingâ.