ALEX MCDONALD SENTENCED IN LIVERPOOL FOR CHILD SEXUAL OFFENCES
A 20-year-old man named Alex McDonald from Liverpool has been sentenced after admitting to attempting to communicate sexually with a 13-year-old girl.McDonald claimed he used a decoy posing as a 13-year-old girl to send explicit photos and sexual messages as a way to escape the stress of his father's terminal illness.
The court heard that McDonald first contacted 'Amber' on Kik on February 9 last year, asking if she wanted a 'tribute,' a type of sex act involving filming and sending explicit content.
Despite Amber confirming her age was 13, McDonald continued to send her pictures and videos of his genitals and falsely stated he was 16, asking, 'Is that bad, or are you fine with it?' When she responded that it was up to him, he replied, 'I mean, I'm fine with it, just making sure you're not scared.' Liverpool Crown Court was told that McDonald sent additional nude photos, including images clearly showing his face, and encouraged her to perform a sexual act before the messages stopped on March 19.
Police visited his home in Walton a week later, where his mother identified him from one of his selfies.
Officers seized his two iPhones and a tower computer.
McDonald attended a voluntary police interview on September 20, during which he read a prepared statement acknowledging his contact with Amber and admitting that his actions were unlawful, as he knew she was 13.
He expressed remorse by saying he was ashamed but answered 'no comment' to all further questions.
He was subsequently sentenced to 20 months in prison after pleading guilty to charges including attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause a girl aged 13 to 15 to view sexual images, and attempting to induce sexual activity.
During sentencing, defense lawyer David Birrell explained that McDonald was going through a tough period in his life, caring for his terminally ill father with stage four cancer, which had spread extensively.
Birrell noted that McDonald's prognosis was over a year ago, yet he had survived beyond expectations, which caused emotional distress.
He also revealed that McDonald turned to alcohol and sought online escape, which led to these offences.
Birrell added that McDonald's mother had written a letter describing him as a decent person and stating that this incident was a one-off.
A pre-sentence report suggested that his father's illness might have contributed to his actions and that his risk could be managed with a sex offender treatment program.
However, Judge Anil Murray criticized McDonald, stating, 'In your chats with Amber, you made it clear you weren't bothered about her being 13.' The judge also noted that McDonald claimed not to remember the conversations, denied having any sexual interest in children, and believed the chats were legal at the time.
The judge further remarked, 'You’re now in a relationship with someone.
I note you haven't told her about this case.' He expressed skepticism about McDonald's claims of amnesia and lack of sexual interest, concluding that he was unlikely to be a suitable candidate for rehabilitation.
As part of his sentence, McDonald was ordered to register as a sex offender and comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years.
