CHELTENHAM MAN ANDREW SNNE SENTENCED AFTER PLOTTING SEX WITH FAMILY MEMBERS
In April 2022, a disturbing case emerged involving a 51-year-old man from Cheltenham named Andrew Snee, who was convicted of attempting to arrange a sexual encounter with an entire family, including two young girls aged seven and fourteen.The case was heard at Gloucester Crown Court, where jurors learned that Snee had engaged in an online chat with individuals using the aliases 'Lucy and Danny.' During the trial held in February, it was revealed that Snee had been involved in a series of conversations in an internet chatroom, where 'Lucy and Danny' described in explicit detail their willingness to engage in sexual acts with themselves and their children.
Prosecutor Mark Worsley explained that these individuals, who have not been identified and are believed to be paedophile hunters, told Snee that he could have sex with their daughters as well as the mother.
It was also disclosed that no actual meeting or sexual act ever took place between Snee and the supposed family members.
The police discovered the chat conversation on Snee’s Samsung Galaxy tablet following a raid on his home on December 19, 2019.
Mr Worsley emphasized that whether the family existed or not was secondary; the key point was that Snee was actively seeking to make such a scenario happen.
The prosecution argued that Snee believed the conversation was real and was attempting to facilitate a sexual encounter involving children.
Andrew Snee was found guilty of two charges: one for arranging or facilitating child sex offences involving a seven-year-old girl, and another involving a fourteen-year-old girl, with the offences allegedly occurring between June 19 and December 26, 2019.
The court heard that Snee’s intent was clear, and he was actively trying to make these encounters happen, which led to his conviction.
Judge Recorder John Trevaskis addressed the court, noting that a psychological report on Snee had been requested following his February conviction but was not yet completed.
However, a pre-sentence report prepared by the probation service provided sufficient information for sentencing.
The report described Snee as a vulnerable and suggestible individual.
The judge recounted that Snee was arrested in December 2019, and during the police investigation, evidence was found on his electronic devices.
The chat conversation on his tablet involved contact with a person who claimed to be arranging sex with his 14-year-old daughter and her younger sister, aged seven.
It was clarified that the other party was using the internet to identify paedophiles, and no actual children were involved.
Judge Trevaskis explained that Snee had discussed engaging in oral and full sexual intercourse with the children, and because of the nature of these intentions, his case exceeded the threshold for immediate custody.
As a result, Snee was sentenced to two years in prison, but this sentence was suspended for two years.
Additionally, he was ordered to complete 40 days of rehabilitation activities and participate in a new skills program aimed at addressing sex offending behaviors.
The court also mandated that Snee register as a sex offender for ten years and imposed a sexual harm prevention order that restricted his internet use for the same period, aiming to prevent any further offenses.
