David Hartley 29

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A vulnerable teenage girl was left suffering nightmares and flashbacks after a man sent her explicit pictures of himself that left her feeling shocked and "like a broken piece of glass".

The traumatised girl kept "replaying" what happened "over and over again" and she later said: "It's like a wrecking ball through my heart." She felt disgusted and ashamed at his "absolutely vile" behaviour and "cried for hours on end" because of her ordeal, Hull Crown Court heard.

David Hartley, 29, of Sandfield Close, Market Weighton, admitted engaging in sexual communication with a child between June 14 and August 22, 2022.

Michael Masson, prosecuting, said that Hartley sent messages to a young girl, including intimate pictures of himself via Snapchat. The girl was "shocked and distressed" after she saw the X-rated pictures and she told her mother.

"The matter was ultimately reported to the police," said Mr Masson. The girl was interviewed and she revealed to police that Hartley told her: "This could be mine and your secret. This could live in your head rent-free."

There had been a number of incidents in which Hartley would make joking comments about the girl's body and he seemed to be inappropriately close to her. "They were constantly messaging each other," said Mr Masson.

During police interview, Hartley initially denied that he ever sent intimate pictures of himself to the girl but he later admitted that messages were sent as well as the pictures. He had no previous convictions.

The girl later said in a statement addressed directly to Hartley: "My life has changed since I reported you. I have been mentally struggling. I felt like a broken piece of glass. I shouted for it not to be real.

"I never realised the impact that it has caused. I cried for hours on end. I was not able to emotionally understand or process what was going on."

The girl was scared about seeing Hartley as she was walking to school and she suffered flashbacks. "I didn't go out much as I felt safe at home," she said. She was "replaying" what happened "over and over again" and she felt ashamed of herself.

"I would have nightmares of you being angry because you wanted it to be kept a secret," she said. The girl felt "disgusted and uncomfortable" with what Hartley did and she struggled when she was around men.

"These past two years have changed a lot for me," she said. "I struggle to make new friends again because I can't trust anyone. You broke that trust. It's like a wrecking ball through my heart.

"I was just a child. I will never be the same girl I used to be. I will try to fix myself but I will always ask what I did to deserve this."

Ben Hammersley, mitigating, said that Hartley denied that he deliberately targeted the girl for the purposes of sending the messages. "She clearly is, or was at the time, a vulnerable young person," said Mr Hammersley.

"This was absolutely vile behaviour. He expresses deep regret and shame at what happened. It was clearly inappropriate and it's shameful on his part. He should have been the adult that was expected, rather than doing what he did.

"He did show a level of shame and disgust. Burying his head in the sand was illustrative of that shame and something that the court sees regularly in these type of cases. That rightful sense of shame and disgust is, in some cases, something of a protective factor."

Hartley had been in well-paid employment most of his adult life. He had been involved in the scouting movement, the court heard. His partner was expecting their first child in February next year. He was a low risk of reconviction.

Judge Tahir Khan KC said: "For a short period of time, he was in denial." The judge told Hartley: "She was a child and you knew that. You carried on being inappropriate to her.

"You would be inappropriate around her." Judge Khan said of the explicit pictures that Hartley sent to the girl: "That was wholly inappropriate. She was distraught and not expecting you to behave in that way.

"Her life has been turned upside down since she reported the matter to the police. She feared seeing you on the street. She had flashbacks. She isolated herself at home and had flashbacks.

"She was devastated by your behaviour towards her. Her mother did the decent thing, the right thing, and reported the matter to the police. It's clear that your behaviour towards this vulnerable young lady had a significant impact on her mental health."

Hartley was given a 14-month suspended prison sentence, 250 hours' unpaid work, 30 days' rehabilitation and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. He must register as a sex offender for 10 years and he was given a 10-year restraining order.