85-year-old man handed conditional discharge for child sex communications after undercover sting

85-YEAR-OLD MAN HANDED CONDITIONAL DISCHARGE FOR CHILD SEX COMMUNICATIONS AFTER UNDERCOVER STING

AN 85-YEAR-OLD caught in a sting operation having sexual communications with a decoy child has been handed a conditional discharge.

Alan Pill - who has since been diagnosed with dementia - claimed he couldn't recall the explicit conversations with the two fake 13-year-olds.

In online chats with what was really an undercover officer, he asked if she would 'like to be naughty' and to join him naked in his bed.

The octogenarian of Crotch Crescent, Oxford, had already admitted one count of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.

He was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court for that offence yesterday.

Prosecutor Michael Hillman outlined that the online communications took place between September 12 and October 12, 2018.

During those chats, Pill asked if the girl, who said she was 13, if she 'would like to be naughty' and 'like to be licked.' He was caught a second time by an undercover officer online, claiming to be another 13-year-old on October 10, during which he asked further sexually explicit questions about performing sex acts and whether she wanted to meet and send a picture.

He also sent her his mobile number and personal email, and via WhatsApp, asked if she would join him in his bed and remove her clothes.

Pill admitted the offence but stated he could not remember the conversations.

His defense argued that he had been seeking companionship but the situation had 'deteriorated' into improper conversations.

The judge ordered a conditional discharge for 24 months, a five-year sexual harm prevention order, signing the sex offenders register, and a victim surcharge.