Southampton 2021-07-29

Simon Matthew Virgo 40

A PAEDOPHILE caught with indecent images of children asked a 13-year-old girl if she liked older men, a court heard.

Profile Picture
Offender ID: O-0202

Locations

Walker Gardens, Hedge End, SO30 2

Description

Simon Matthew Virgo sent sexual messages to a ‘teenage girl’ named Mollie.

The 37-year-old contacted her through an online messaging program called Kik.

Prosecution attorney Emily Lanham said “The” messages back and forth contained references to implied sexual acts and whether or not she liked old men. ”

Daily Echo: Simon Virgo covers his face outside Southampton Crown Court.Simon Virgo covers his face outside Southampton Crown Court.

However, Virgo, of Walker Gardens, Hedge End, actually spoke to police officers.

After a raid on his home, officers seized two cellphones and two Ipads.

They found obscene images of children suspected of being abused between the ages of six and eleven.

He appears before Southampton Crown Court and is charged with two counts of indecent photographs of a child and a single charge that he was an adult who wanted to engage in sexual communication with a child.

During an earlier trial, he pleaded guilty to the offenses that took place between June and December 2019.

Defendant Jamie Gammon said his client was of good character and had no previous convictions.

Daily Echo: The 37-year-old actually spoke to police officers. The 37-year-old actually spoke to police officers.

He argued that the judge should suspend any indemnity sentence and added that if he gets a jail sentence, ‘he will be released and face a future without support’.

Mr Gammon, said: ‘My submission is that he can be helped and that he wants help.

Judge Christopher Parker QC warned that if Mollie was actually a child “the situation could be very different”.

He also mentioned ‘positive references from a number of people’.

Judge Parker sentenced him to six months in prison, suspended for 12 years.

Virgo must complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 40 days of rehabilitation.

He was ordered to pay £ 340 in costs.

Furthermore, he must register as a sexual offender for seven years and he will prevent an order against sexual harm for the same period.

Source Update