BARNSLEY MAN CAUGHT ONLINE CHATTING WITH WHO HE THOUGHT WAS A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL FLEES POLICE
A Barnsley man who believed he was chatting with a 13-year-old girl online caught messaging what he thought was a 13-year-old girl then fled police and discarded his phone during his arrest.Alan Jones, 37, claimed he had thrown away his mobile because he did not want his wife to discover an affair he was having.
Details from Sheffield Crown Court revealed that Jones had been messaging an officer posing as a 13-year-old girl on Chat IW and Snapchat, under the false impression he was communicating with a minor.
He later told police he thought the person was an adult pretending to be a child for sexual gratification.
Prosecutor Matthew Burdon explained that on April 25, 2022, Jones exchanged messages with an officer identifying as Jessica and believed she was 13.
He engaged in inappropriate sexual conversations, including asking for pictures and discussing masturbation.
When officers arrived to arrest him, Jones escaped by placing a clothes airer in the way and running out the back door.
He was later found nearby but had already disposed of his phone, preventing further investigation of his communications.
During police interviews, Jones insisted he thought he was speaking to an adult woman, not a child, and had engaged in this conduct due to his own sexual interests.
He admitted to attempting to have sexual communication with a child and perverting the course of justice, but had no prior convictions.
The court, recognizing he had served time equivalent to 15 months on remand, sentenced him to a two-year community order and imposed a five-year sexual harm prevention order.
His remorse was acknowledged, and the judge emphasized there was no direct victim in the case.
