Description
A man arrested on suspicion of engaging in sexualised online chat with an underage girl committed numerous similar offences when released under investigation.
In each case, however, defendant John Paul Williamson was unaware the “girl” with whom he believed he was exchanging messages, was, in reality, a police decoy.
Durham Crown Court heard that he swapped messages with what he thought to be a 12-year-old girl, on a profile going under the name ‘Holly’, on a chat app in late March, 2022.
Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said Williamson introduced himself as a 26-year-old man, his age at the time, and from the outset was told Holly was only 12.
Mr Newcombe said following a couple of introductory remarks in which he asked her to send him images of herself, the defendant soon moved the conversation on to sexual matters.
He sent sexualised pictures of himself and asked her if she liked older men.
Mr Newcombe said the defendant told her not to be shy and sent her explicit photos of himself asking if she liked them and would she like to see more.
Although Holly gave only innocent answers, Williamson persisted and sent her five further requests for pictures.
He was arrested and interviewed in April 2022, but gave no comment and was released, only to commit further similar offences.
Mr Newcombe said the defendant became involved in similar chat room exchanges involving three other “girls”, supposedly all aged 13, in which he suggested they should engage in sexual activity, repeatedly asking them to send him photos.
When he was re-arrested, in January 2023, he denied using the chat room app and blamed the offences on a named cousin, who, it emerged did not exist, so it was all an invention as a cover story for himself.
Mr Newcombe said police also discovered indecent images of children on devices in Williamson’s possession, including 71 in the most serious category, both stills and moving.
These featured children as young as five being abused by adults, while there were also two images classed as extreme pornography, showing scenes of bestiality.
Williamson, now 28, of Pine Avenue, Durham, admitted four counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, three of possessing indecent images of a child and two of possession of extreme pornography.
He also asked for 20 further charges of attempted sexual communication with a child to be taken into consideration.
Mr Newcombe said in each of those cases they were police officers posing as underage girls on chat apps.
He said the aggravating features of the case was the attempt to solicit images of the children he believed he was communicating with, his “persistence”, particularly post his first arrest.
“So, despite police having spoken to him about similar behaviour, he just carried on doing exactly the same.”
Robin Patton, for Williamson, said whatever sentence the defendant serves, his life, post-release, will no longer be the same due to the scrutiny he will be placed under, with his online behaviour monitored by the sex offenders’ management unit and the Probation Service.
“He’s now 28, of previous good character and with a job until he was remanded into custody, where he has spent the last six months.
“During all of this offending he never, actually, met a child.
“He’s a sad and inadequate figure according to the Probation Service.
“When released he will still be the same due to a deep-seated sense of inadequacy.
“But he will be monitored upon his release.”
Judge Geoffrey Marson told the defendant he committed, “a catalogue of persistent and serious offending", even though no real child was harmed by him.
“But, at the time, you believed these girls existed and were aged 12 or 13.
“It’s perfectly clear you have a sexual interest in children, which, at the moment, you are unable to control.
“You also have a propensity to possess extreme pornographic images and others of children.”
The judge said the attempts to sexually communicate with what he believed to be children were, “among the worst I have ever come across.”
He added: “To make matters worse, you were arrested in April 2022 and then offended again from November 2022, committing a further catalogue of similar offending.”
Imposing a total three-year prison sentence, Judge Marson told Williamson he will spend up to half in custody before being released on licence.
The judge also made the defendant subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and registration as a sex offender, both, “without limit of time.”
He also made a forfeiture and destruction order for the devices seized from the defendant during the investigation.