A man who sent disgusting sexual messages to someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl claims he's not a paedophile. Jack Bowker sent messages to a fake Snapchat account set up by cops about taking the virginity of the '12-year-old girl'.
On Wednesday, November 9, Liverpool Magistrates Court heard that Bowker, 29, engaged in conversations of a sexual nature over Snapchat with a user he thought belonged to an underage girl between July and November 2021. His inappropriate conversations with the alleged pre-teen started off innocent but gradually became sexual, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Prosecuting, Callum Bryce revealed that Bowker had sent vile messages to the account about ''spanking'' her backside, lying in bed with her, having oral sex, getting an erection and also about taking her virginity. Bowker also sent selfies to the account, but did not share any explicit photos.
The pervert was entirely unaware that the account was actually being run by the police, and officers received a warrant to search his home on November 9, 2021. Officers seized electronic equipment from the property but they did not arrest the fiend.
In April 2022, Bowker, of Twickenham Drive, Leasowe, admitted to sending the messages during a police interview before he pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. In his defence, Colin Rawson drew attention to his client's lack of previous convictions and pointed out that he had pleaded guilty as well as being fully cooperative with the police.
Mr Rawson said Bowker "has difficulties engaging with other people" and he "rarely leaves his own address", and that making contact with others through social media is his primary way of speaking to new people. Mr Rawson said Bowker's conversations with the fake 12-year-old began innocently but "sexual contact crept into the conversation". He said the girl's age was "mentioned on several occasions" and Bowker "has to recognise he is an offender".
Sentencing, District Judge Timothy Boswell told Bowker, that although he was not actually conversing with a real child, he "didn't know that when you engaged in chats" and said he clearly sent the messages "to obtain sexual gratification". The judge added: "You do not regard yourself as a paedophile".
He explained this can happen with some offenders of this nature, adding: "Some people struggle to accept the type of person their offending makes them".
Judge Boswell told the perv that there was "work to be done to challenge your perception of yourself". He handed Bowker a six-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, as he told him: "You knew what you were doing".
Bowker also received a seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He will take part in a 30-day rehabilitation programme and complete 160 hours of unpaid work. The Sexual Harm Prevention Order requirements means Bowker needs to notify police of any device he is using with internet access and is also not allowed to delete or alter his browsing history in any way.
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