Description
A convicted sex offender posted selfies taken at court on social media shortly after being spared jail for molesting a teenager.
On being handed a suspended sentence, Charlie Steine was told by the judge he should “reflect on and be grateful for” the forgiveness shown to him by his victim and his mother.
But within hours he had updated his Facebook profile picture to show him posing outside Canterbury Crown Court, captioning the image with a laughing emoji and saying: "Crown court for the 7th time this year.”
The 23-year-old also shared selfies he had taken inside the building – itself a criminal offence of contempt, so KentOnline cannot publish the images.
Steine was at the court to be sentenced having earlier pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a boy in Ramsgate.
Appearing there last Friday, Judge Mark Weekes remarked the victim and his parent had shown "considerable understanding and insight" into the defendant's behaviour on June 25 last year.
Prosecutor Suzanne Fewins said the youth was in Ramsgate when Steine, who the teen had previously seen begging, asked for 20p before questioning the boy about his sexuality and asking him to rate his appearance.
"The victim felt uncomfortable but, not wanting to be rude, responded "Six out of 10"," she told the court. "The defendant then asked for a hug. He then hugged the victim, stroked his back and started kissing his neck.
"The victim said he was frozen and didn't know what to do so stood still. The defendant let go and asked him to kiss him back. The victim said "No" and started to walk away."
However, Steine followed and tried to give him his Snapchat details.
"The victim said he felt really worried, wanted to get home, and kept shouting "no" in the defendant's direction," added Ms Fewins
The incident was reported to police and Steine, having been identified from CCTV footage, was arrested 11 days later at his grandmother's home.
When interviewed, he said he could not remember where he had been that day and "would not have kissed the boy and was not gay", said Ms Fewins.
However, Steine, who has seven previous convictions for 42 offences but none of a sexual nature, later pleaded guilty on the first day of trial in July.
The victim and his mother both attended that hearing and in a subsequent statement read to the court she described how she was "heartbroken" to hear the defendant had been dealt "a hard hand in life" but pleased he had been drug-free for a year.
"I left feeling pity for him and hoped that his future sentencing would be minimal," she continued. "My son said he felt extremely sorry for him and doesn't deserve what's coming to him.
"He knows [Steine] wasn't in his right mind when he did what he did and holds no hate towards him. He hopes he gets all the help he needs for a better life. He wishes Charlie all the best, as I do."
Kerry Waitt, defending, acknowledged the "very magnanimous" victim impact statement, adding the incident would have been "undoubtedly deeply distressing".
But he told the court Steine, who is from Ramsgate, was "effectively homeless, living on the streets" and should be given the "support and encouragement needed to move on in his life".
Passing sentence, Judge Weekes said the defendant, while intoxicated, had initially engaged his victim in "what might crudely be termed some form of banter" before accosting him in a "quite distressing and frightening" manner.
But he said he was "heartened" to read the "exceptionally humane" statement from the boy's mother and told Steine: "She and your victim are extremely forgiving people and you should be extremely grateful for that.
"They understand and have considerable insight into the state you were in at the time of this offence and you would do well to reflect on that when you leave court. Your victim has demonstrated a considerable milk of human kindness."
The judge added it was "most unfortunate" Steine had not pleaded guilty at an earlier stage, and highlighted the fact he had continued to maintain his innocence
But he told him that was now "water under the bridge" due to the "very good progress" he had made, and that while his behaviour was "troubling", he did not pose a significant risk to the public.
Steine was handed an 18-month jail term suspended for two years, with 20 rehabilitation activity sessions and a 12-month drug rehabilitation requirement. He must also sign on the sex offender register for 10 years.
He thanked the judge as he left court, before later sharing the selfies taken inside and outside the building.
In a post that morning he had told his Facebook friends he was due at crown court, and when one asked why he replied: “For having to say guilty for something I was innocent of, how crumbled the system is.”
After the sentencing hearing he wrote that he had once been a “very bad naughty druggy boy”, but was now “such a different person”.
Days before he had posted a video he had sent to someone in an effort to engage them in a fight, shouting in the footage: “Come here now and scrap me d***head.”