Joshua Murrell 22

Description

A convicted sex offender used Snapchat to pretend he was 15 in order to groom an underage girl before meeting up with her to have sex.

Joshua Murrell, from Crewe, who was in fact 19 years-old, has been jailed for five-and-a-half years after admitting a string of serious sexual offences.

His victim was aged 13 and 14 at the time of the offences.

Murrell, of Plane Tree Drive, was already the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) having been convicted of sexual offences in March 2020.

He was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on December 9 having pleaded guilty to several offences, including sexual activity and sexual communication with a child as well as breaches of the SHPO.

Rob Edwards, prosecuting, said the SHPO prohibited Murrell from using the internet to contact a child under the age of 16.

However, on May 8 this year he contacted the victim on Snapchat and persisted with messaging her despite the fact she told him she was 13.

Murrell told her he was 15 and began asking for images of the victim.

Upon receiving them, he referred to her as "sexy" and told her he loved her. He also sent her an image of his erect penis, the court heard.

Mr Edwards said Murrell had told the victim that "if she did everything he wanted" he would get her "everything she wanted" up to a value of 500.

On June 1 they met at a park in Nantwich where they shared a kiss.

Then on the following two days, June 2 and 3, the defendant had sex with the victim near a lake in Nantwich, the court heard.

The victim told her support worker about what had happened and the police were informed.

Following his arrest, Murrell denied that he knew the victim. He was released under investigation.

On August 29, he made contact with the victim again, anonymously on Snapchat.

Mr Edwards said messages were then shared via WhatsApp with Murrell telling the victim he intended to marry her when she was 16.

He asked her not to tell anyone that he was in contact with her.

"She felt sorry for him", Mr Edwards told the court. "She didn't want to cooperate with the police."

On August 31 they met again in Crewe where they had sex.

They arranged to meet again but never did, and Murrell was re-arrested the following month.

Mr Edwards said the victim has suffered "panic attacks" as a result of Murrell's offending. She feels "sad and angry", he added.

Sarah Badrawy, defending, said her client, who has been diagnosed with autism, was aware that he faced "a sentence of some significant length".

She told the court: "He struggles to understand why he offends in this way. It's something he wants to explore and address.

"As a young man he doesn't want to spend his life committing offences of this nature.

"He wants to address the issues and risk he poses. He does not shy away from that.

"He wants to know why his mind works in this way, to identify the trigger factors and keep away from this type of behaviour."

She added that her client has a "supportive family" and there was an employment opportunity awaiting him upon his release.

Judge Simon Berkson said the offences committed by Murrell have had "a significant effect on the victim".

He told the defendant: "You're 19 and have pleaded guilty to a number of sexual offences.

"You groomed your victim who was then aged 13. You were purporting to be 15.

"The grooming became sexual. You denied committing the offences and persisted with the lies until your first appearance at crown court."

Judge Berkson added that having autism had "affected" Murrell and told him it may be a reason why he struggled "making relationships with people your own age".

Murrell was sentenced to five and a half years in a youth detention centre, of which half will be served on licence.

He was also handed a 12-year SHPO and a restraining order covering the same length of time.