Steven Lancaster 38

Description

A serving soldier’s career is over after he took part in sexual communication online with what he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

Steven Lancaster’s downfall was making contact with what, in reality, was a non-existent girl, ‘Megan’, via the Kik app, in October 2020.

Durham Crown Court was told the profile of ‘Megan’ was posted on the site Young Girls and Older Men by a member of the online child protection group Innocent Voices.

Christopher Bevan, prosecuting, said it was made clear to Lancaster, who was 34 at the time, that ‘Megan’ was purporting to be aged 14. 

 Mr Bevan said over a period of more than a month, it was, “prolonged and consistent communication”, where the subject matter was, “of a nature inappropriate for a person who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.”

The defendant sent her pictures of naked women and of a couple having “graphic” sexual relations.

Innocent Voices reported his conduct to police and when he was arrested officers seized his phone, on which they found indecent videos of children in the ten to 14-year bracket, two each in the most serious categories, A and B, and one in C, along with an indecent image of a child, also in the C bracket.

Mr Bevan said the videos were of between 30 seconds and one minute 59 seconds in duration.

Lancaster was interviewed and fully admitted the offending, but he denied having any sexual interest in children or that he gained any sexual gratification from the images.

The defendant, now 36 and of previous good character, admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, plus three counts of making (possessing) indecent images of children.

Amrit Jandoo, representing the defendant, pointed out that it was, “an attempt” as the child he believed he was communicating with did not exist.

Mr Jandoo conceded the images found on Lancaster’s phone were “abhorrent”

He said the background was the deep depression Lancaster suffered due to injuries suffered as a serving soldier.

“Despite him serving his country well, as seen by the references before the court, his career is at an end because of the offending behaviour.

“It’s very disappointing for him.

“His motivation is to recognise these are serious offences and probation can work with him.” 

 Judge James Adkin told Mr Jandoo: “He thought he was communicating with a 14-year-old girl.”

Mr Jandoo replied: “A Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) may assist with him behaving in that way.”

Judge Adkin said given that the risk thought to be posed to the public by Lancaster was “moderate”, and given the, “strong character references I have read, plus his medical problems and depression”, he could suspend the eight-month prison sentence for two years.

But the defendant, of Warner Avenue, St Helen Auckland, must complete 50-hours’ unpaid work, attend 30 probation-led rehabilitation activity days and a sex offenders’ group work programme.

He was also made subject of notification as a sex offender and a SHPO, both for ten years.