Locations
Reresby Park Close, Dalton, Rotherham, S65
Description
A 33-year-old man sobbed from the dock, as he was sent to begin his first prison sentence for attempting to incite a ‘12-year-old girl’ to send him sexually explicit pictures and videos online.
The security guard flanking defendant, Timothy Newberry, had to wait to escort him out of Sheffield Crown Court while he attempted to collect himself, after Judge Graham Reeds KC told him his sexual offences were so serious that only a prison sentence could be justified.
A hearing held on May 20, 2024 heard how Newberry engaged in extreme sexual communication with an online profile purporting to be a 12-year-old girl called Sophie, but was, in fact, an undercover police officer.
Prosecutor, Joseph Bell, described how from the offset of Newberry’s communication with ‘Sophie,’ which began over a social media messaging app in June 2023, she ‘immediately’ informed him that she was 12-years-old, and repeatedly referred to her attendance at school.
After a brief conversation with ‘Sophie’ concerning her online profile, Newberry began attempting to ‘solicit images’ from her, Mr Bell said, adding that Newberry quickly began to talk about, and send her images of, his genitals.
Newberry, of Reresby Park Close, Dalton, Rotherham, continued to send messages to ‘Sophie’ and repeatedly requested explicit videos of the girl.
He sent a video he took of himself engaging in a solo sexual act.
Newberry made numerous attempts to contact the undercover police officer’s decoy account in the days that followed, but received no responses.
Police then arrested Newberry at his home address, before interviewing him, during which he answered ‘no comment’ to all questions posed.
Newberry was subsequently charged with, and pleaded guilty to, one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and one count of attempting to cause or incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - penetration.
Newberry’s barrister, Clarkson Baptiste, referred Judge Reeds to Newberry’s pre-sentence report, which, he suggested, detailed Newberry’s ‘difficult childhood’.
“He wasn’t able to be looked after by his mother, and was sent to live with his grandparents who made him homeless at the age of 16. He’s struggled through his adult life to achieve stability,” Mr Baptiste told the court.
Mr Baptiste continued: “He attends court with his current partner. She sits in the public gallery, in full knowledge of why he’s here. He’s aware of the potential sentence he faces.”
Jailing Newberry for 42 months, Judge Reeds told him: “Police officers work to detect people like you who intend to corrupt children into sexual activity for their own sexual gratification.”
“This was serious sexual offending, and the intended harm was considerable, even though no actual harm was caused to a real child.”
Judge Reeds also made Newberry the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and told him he will also be required to register as a sex offender, both of which will run without limit of time.