BATH MAN ASHLEY COOPER CAUGHT IN POLICE STING FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING CHILD ONLINE

In a disturbing case that unfolded in Bath, a 61-year-old man named Ashley Cooper found himself on the wrong side of the law after attempting to engage in inappropriate and illegal online communications with someone he believed to be a minor. The incident came to light during a police operation aimed at tackling online child exploitation, leading to Cooper's arrest and subsequent court proceedings.

According to court records, Cooper had been actively chatting online with an individual he thought was a 13-year-old girl. During their conversations, he sent explicit images of himself, including photographs of his private parts. The exchanges escalated over several days, with Cooper engaging in sexually explicit dialogue and sharing more intimate videos and photos of himself. One of the videos involved Cooper urinating, while another depicted him engaged in a sexual act, all of which he sent to the supposed minor.

The prosecution, led by Mandla Ndlovu, detailed how Cooper's online interactions included the sending of a photograph of himself in a sexual context, as well as a picture of the girl in her bathrobe, which marked the beginning of a series of increasingly explicit exchanges. The court was told that Cooper believed he was communicating with a young girl aged 13, but in reality, he was speaking to an undercover police officer.

Cooper’s actions were deemed serious enough to warrant criminal charges. He pleaded guilty to attempting to have sexual communication with a child under 16 and to attempting to cause a child under 16 to view an image of himself engaged in sexual activity. His behavior was characterized by the court as persistent, occurring between April and June of the previous year. However, Cooper voluntarily ceased his offending after more than two months of activity.

His Honour Judge Peter Blair QC, presiding over the case at Bristol Crown Court, sentenced Cooper to a 16-month jail term, which was suspended for 18 months. The judge acknowledged Cooper’s remorse and the fact that he has health issues, as well as noting that he has a supportive wife despite his actions. The court also ordered Cooper to register as a sex offender for a period of ten years and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to prevent future offenses. Additionally, Cooper was fined £500 and required to pay a victim surcharge.

In delivering the sentence, Judge Blair emphasized the seriousness of Cooper’s conduct but also recognized the fact that he had ceased his offending behavior. The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat online child exploitation and protect vulnerable minors from predatory behavior.