NORTH YORKSHIRE MAN JAILED FOR THREE YEARS FOR ONLINE CHILD SEX OFFENCES

Brian Ainsworth, also known as Brian Beagan, aged 53, from Main Street in Low Bentham, has been sentenced to three years in jail for online child sex offences, including breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He pleaded guilty on May 17 to multiple offenses such as attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity, trying to cause a child to view sexual images, attempting to communicate sexually with a child, and breaching his court order. Ainsworth's criminal conduct involved contacting a '13-year-old girl' online, and despite knowing her age, he engaged in sexualized chat, encouraged her to perform sexual acts, discussed pornography, and sent indecent images of himself. It was later revealed that the girl he thought he was speaking with was actually an adult woman. His offending was reported on the evening of May 15, leading to his arrest early on May 16. He appeared in court on May 17, where he pleaded guilty, and was remanded in custody. During sentencing at York Crown Court on July 26, Ainsworth was also ordered to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. His previous offending history includes a 22-month jail term in 2019, and his latest offenses are a blatant breach of his earlier court order. Investigating officer Detective Constable Kirsty Sullivan emphasized the dangerous sexual interest Ainsworth has in children and highlighted the seriousness of his offending. The court's sentence reflects the risk posed by his behavior.