Stuart Mallen 45

Description

A serial sex offender, obsessed with young boys, sobbed as he was led to the cells after a judge jailed him for his latest sordid offence.

Stuart Mallen was caught in a “sting” by a paedophile vigilante group when he attempted to meet up in a Blackpool car park with a youngster he believed was 15.

The 45-year-old was sitting in his vehicle waiting for his victim with a tube of lubricant on his lap, Preston Crown Court was told.

Jailing him for 20 months, Judge Ian Unsworth told him: “You are a predatory paedophile with a sexual attraction to young boys.

“It is to your good fortune that it didn’t involve a real child.”

Mallen, of Salisbury Avenue, Knott End, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.

He also admitted three counts of making indecent images of children after police found he had a stash of 36 obscene photographs and videos of youngsters on his devices.

The court heard that in February Mallen made contact online with what he thought was a 15-year-old boy. In fact it was a fake profile set up by paedophile hunters intent on snaring sex offenders.

Messages between Mallen and the “boy” showed that the conversation “was short-lived but had quickly escalated to one of a sexual nature.”

Mallen then sent a photograph of his private parts and they arranged to meet up in Blackpool.

Judge Unsworth told him: “You drove to a car park where you were detained by a paedophile hunter group. It was a sting.”

He said that while a container of lubricant had been found on his lap in the car “the prosecution have chosen not to charge you with what may have happened in that meeting.

“So I don’t sentence you for that, but it is a feature the court can have regard to when it considers the case.”

The court heard Mallen had previously been found guilty of sexual offences involving children – once when he was working in primary schools.

In 2007 he received a police caution after he was found in possession of indecent material involving a child and also using an internet site to view images of youngsters.

He had been working in a school at the time and police launched an investigation into his behaviour after concerns were raised.

Then in 2008 Mallen appeared in Wolverhampton Crown Court for a list of offences involving children including eight of meeting or communicating with a child under the age of 16 following sexual grooming. He faced four charges of sexual activity with a child and two of engaging in a sex act in the presence of a child.

He had met a 14-year-old boy online and developed a sexual relationship with him. He travelled to Plymouth where he took the victim back to his hotel room and spent the night with him, during which there was sexual activity.

He was given a community order for three years and also made the subject of a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order which banned him from being alone with children.

Judge Unsworth said that in a pre-sentence report to the court in this case a probation officer said Mallen had admitted he was “attracted, and sexually so, to teenage boys.”

He told him: “Your offending to date shows you act on that when the opportunity arises.”

The judge said his past record had to be taken into account when sentencing him and whether or not the court could step back from an immediate custodial sentence in this case.

“In my judgement it is a serious case of its kind. I accept that you are remorseful.”

Judge Unsworth sentenced Mallen to 12 months in prison for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child under 16.

He gave him 20 months for possessing 19 Category A indecent photos and videos, 12 months for nine Category B images and video and eight months for having eight Category C pictures.

The judge ordered all the sentences to be served concurrently, meaning a total of 20 months.

“I am required to consider whether I can draw back from a sentence of immediate imprisonment. I have carefully considered the various matters and in my judgement only a sentence of immediate custody can possibly be appropriate in this case.”

Mallen broke down in tears and was sobbing uncontrollably as he was led from the dock.

The judge ordered the devices he had used to access child pornography to be destroyed.