A "devious" pervert believed he was having sexual chats online with a vulnerable 13-year-old girl but was in fact messaging an adult decoy.
Stephen Swan began messaging what he thought was an underage girl called Poppy on a chat app called Waplog in April with the 63-year-old's messages soon turning sexual. The chats then moved over to WhatsApp, but what Swan didn't know, was that he was actually speaking to an adult decoy from a group called the Child Online Safety Team.
Durham Crown Court heard on Friday that Swan spoke to the decoy about "skinny-dipping" and believed the girl was "socially isolated" and had "few friends". There was also said to be a "degree of manipulation" in the chats before Swan was arrested.
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Swan, of Oakerside Drive, Peterlee, appeared at the court to be sentenced for attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child. He had pleaded guilty to the offence and avoided being sent straight to prison.
Claire Towers, prosecuting, said in March this year, a member of the Child Online Safety Team created a "decoy profile" on Waplog purporting to be a 13-year-old girl named Poppy. She said: "Between April 7 and 17, the defendant sent messages to the profile and later on WhatsApp."
Despite being told by the decoy they were underage, Swan continued to send messages, which soon turned sexual - one chat mentioning "skinny-dipping". During one conversation he told the decoy he was performing a sex act on himself and later said: "I can learn you more than what books can, but only between us." The court heard that Swan believed the decoy was living with a mother who "was not supervising her", was "socially isolated" and had few friends.
Philip Morley did not seek to address the court further with mitigation after the judge told him she would pass a suspended sentence. The court was told Swan had no previous convictions.
Sentencing Swan, Judge Jo Kidd, said: "You chose to engage with someone you believed was 13-years-old and presented themselves as having particular vulnerabilities. It was devious and manipulative. You actively set out to connect with someone you believed was a vulnerable child. This behaviour is thoroughly dangerous and despicable."
Swan was given four months prison, suspended for 24 months and must complete 30 rehabilitation days and 70 hours unpaid work. A seven year sexual harm prevention order was also imposed and Swan will be on the sex offender's register for seven years.
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