Locations
Sefton Square, Sunderland, SR3
Description
A social media predator who tried to engage in sex chats with seven children has been jailed.
Simon Mace, described as isolated and never having had an intimate relationship, engaged in a series of communications with what he believed were girls as young as 12. Police also found him to be in possession of indecent images of children and Newcastle Crown Court heard he is classed as posing a high risk of serious harm to youngsters.
The offences came to light when police received a report from the National Crime Agency that Mace had been engaging in sexual communication with users on Twitter, now known as X, who were purporting to be under-18. The users were never identified and prosecutors could not say if they were real children.
In the first offence, after being told the user was 13, he responded by saying she was the "perfect age to be abused" and he asked if she wanted to see his penis. In the second offence he was told the user was 12 and he expressed a sexual desire towards her and said he would "love to see pictures of you".
With the third user, he was told she was 14, made sexual comments and told her "be a good girl for daddy". He sent an image of his penis and was sent a picture of a female wearing underwear, which he asked her to remove and made vulgar remarks.
The fourth offence involved him being told the user was 14 and the conversation turned sexual almost immediately. He repeatedly asked for a picture and said he wanted to "see everything". He was sent an image of a female exposing her body and sent a picture of his penis.
In the fifth offence he was told the girl was 15 and he said "I like young s****". The sixth offence involved him being told the user was 14 and he made sexual comments. The seventh Twitter user told him she was 13 and he asked for pictures and was sent one of female genitals and a sexual video.
The court heard police recovered a conversation he had with someone purporting to have a seven-year-old daughter and Mace sent sexual messages about the girl. He did not face any charges in relation to that.
Officers also found 107 category C images of children on his iPad. The youngsters were aged between six and 13. He had also sent messages in a WhatsApp group asking if there were "any teen lovers", the court heard.
Home-working call centre representative Mace, 37, of Sefton Square, Springwell, Sunderland, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to seven charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and one of making indecent images. He was jailed for 13 months and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender registration for ten years.
Robin Patton, defending, said he is "socially isolated" and both his parents are dead. He added that he would be "ripe" for exploitation and bullying in custody and may end up forming a friendship with someone in for similar offences.
Mr Patton said: "The prison population is such that people like him can't get the help they need. If he goes to custody he will lose his job and accommodation."