BARRY WARNER SENTENCED IN BIRKDALE FOR SEXUAL MESSAGE CRIMES AGAINST A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A man called Barry Warner, 51, from Bedford Road, Birkdale, sent explicit sexual messages to a 13-year-old girl and falsely accused her of lying when she reported the incident.Warner initially started chatting with the girl online, but as the messages became increasingly inappropriate, the teenager deliberately engaged him enough to gather evidence of his misconduct.
Following this, Warner began to panic.
He first claimed she was lying, then insisted it was all just a joke, and later pleaded with her to delete the messages.
The girl showed these messages to her mother, who then reported Warner to the police.
At first, Warner denied any wrongdoing, claiming that he believed he was communicating with the girl’s mother and dismissing the messages as nonsense.
However, his excuses were undermined once police examined the messages, which clearly demonstrated that Warner knew the girl’s age.
A self-employed heating engineer, Warner pleaded guilty in court to engaging in sexual communication with a minor.
He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday for sentencing.
Prosecutor Tom Watson explained: "The messages were manipulated by the defendant to become sexual in nature, such as asking to exchange pictures.
However, the girl was smart enough to recognize he was a paedophile and gave him the chance to provide further evidence of this.
She was at least aware that he was trying to involve her in sexual discussions, and she was one step ahead of him." The court was informed that the incident had a significant emotional impact on the victim, causing her anxiety, weight loss, and withdrawal.
Defense lawyer Jeremy Rawson stated that Warner now takes responsibility and regrets his actions.
Rawson added: "His mother is in long-term care with dementia.
He is a decent man who works hard and supports his neighbors." Judge Recorder Ian Unsworth QC addressed Warner, saying: "From the outset, you claimed you thought you were talking to the girl’s mother.
This contradicts the evidence.
You deliberately targeted a young girl — this was premeditated, predatory sexual behavior." He continued: "You asked her for pictures and even offered your own.
She was a vulnerable, fragile child.
Your motives were solely sexual, and the messages were vile.
When it became clear you were caught, you falsely claimed she was lying, pretended it was a joke, and then pretended ignorance of her age, even though you knew she was 13." Warner was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with half to be served and the remaining half on license.
He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register and given a 10-year restraining order.
