Description
A "dangerous offender" with a series of sexual offences sent two young girls sexual content on WhatsApp whilst asking them to do the same. Ethan Owen, 30, was at the time a registered sex offender for life and under a sexual harm prevention order.
Prosecutor Martha Smith-Higgins told Cardiff Crown Court Owen had been on a Fortnite game with two primary school-aged girls after they were added to the game. He subsequently added them both to a WhatsApp group named "bad" where he could see they were clearly children from their profile pictures.
On the group Owen sent horrible messages inciting sexual activities and one of the victims described the pictures and videos as being "disturbing" and featuring naked men and women. The court heard the girls initially thought he was a "normal person" but this quickly changed when he sent various pictures and videos which showed his genitals, him and a woman having sex and him performing sexual acts alone.
He asked one of the girls to send a picture of her genitals and told her to perform sexual activities. The court heard one of his messages said he was "going to come to her house and do something to her" and after he was blocked he tried contacting one of the girls through his girlfriend's phone.
Ms Smith-Higgins said Owen has "a number of relevant previous convictions" with seven convictions for 31 offences. His offending began in 2009 when he was 15 years old and he is currently serving a 50-month recalled prison sentence.
He has breached a sexual harm prevention order on several occasions and has also been charged with threatening behaviour and failing to comply with a community order. John Ryan, representing Owen, told the court his client is now receiving one-on-one psychological intervention which he is finding very helpful and stressed that although his client has a string of previous convictions none of them were hands-on offences.
When sentencing, Judge Francis was keen to point out that "none of this behaviour occurred in a vacuum." She continued: "During the time you were involved, and knowing what both girls looked like, you nonetheless indulged in sexual conversation with them. You sent them images, sexual images and asked one to send you intimate photos.
"This offending did not happen in a vacuum. You have a significant history of sexual offending. You have been appearing before the courts for it since you were a teenager. The fact of the matter is your offending has gone on for so long and been so similar."
The judge listed Owen's previous convictions and said he was classed as a dangerous offender in 2013 when he was given an extended sentence. She added: "You were a dangerous offender then and you are a dangerous offender now."
Owen had pleaded guilty to all six offences at a plea and trial preparation hearing. He was charged with causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of engaging in sexual communications with a child, two counts of causing a child to watch an explicit act and the breach of a sexual harm prevention order.
Owen, of Vale of Glamorgan, was sentenced to an extended sentence of five years, 40 months custodial and five years on licence with the lead offence of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. He will continue to be under a sexual harm prevention order for life and will be on the sex offenders' register for life.