February 2015 Man in naked photo pleas to schoolgirl A MAN bombarded a 14-year-old girl with hundreds of text messages and urged her to send him naked photos in a “disgraceful” crime, a court heard. Christopher William Hill, 23, befriended his victim on Facebook after his father pointed her out in a pub with the words: “She looks to be girlfriend material.” Hill knew her age but repeatedly urged her to send him nude photographs, and sent her 514 text messages in the space of a week, York Crown Court was told. She refused, but did send pictures of herself in her underwear – until her mother saw the contents of her mobile phone and went to the police. Barrister Andrew Semple, for Hill, said his client never spoke to the girl, but acted after his father pointed her out. His father, Barry Hill – an ex-policeman and the steward of Pickering Conservative Club – now felt a “great deal of guilt”, the court heard. Hill was spared jail, but expects to have to leave his home town of Pickering, because he has been spat at in the street and assaulted since details of his crimes were published. Judge Michael Mettyear said his conduct was “disgraceful” and “akin to grooming” and that a probation service report raised “concern” about him. He said: “One cannot predict what would have happened if she hadn’t had a strong character. But I must sentence on what actually happened.” Hill, of Park Street, Pickering, pleaded guilty shortly before he was due to stand trial for attempted possession of indecent photos of an underage girl. He was ordered to undergo a sex offender treatment programme and three years’ supervision. He must pay £500 prosecution costs, will be on the sex offenders’ register for five years and was banned from the pub for four years. The court heard the first contact between Hill and the girl was when he sent her a Facebook “friend request”. She responded and told him through the website she was 14. He then persuaded her to send him her mobile phone number through Facebook and started the photo requests. When she reluctantly sent one of her in her underwear, he requested ones of her topless and she responded with more in her underwear. Between April 13 and April 19, 2010, she sent him ten pictures and he sent her 514 text messages.