DANIEL MARKS FROM YEOVIL SENTENCED FOR ONLINE CHILD SEX OFFENCES
A paedophile hunting organization has released messages exchanged between Daniel Marks, a former school worker from Eliotts Drive in Yeovil, and a decoy posing as a 13-year-old girl.Marks, aged 24, was identified as a paedophile by a court, which decided not to send him to prison so he could receive treatment for his 'sick and distorted' thoughts.
Marks served as a parish councillor for the Brimsmore ward of Yeovil Without Parish Council during 2014-2015, representing the Labour Party.
He also worked at a school for six months until his arrest in July 2017, although the specific school was not disclosed during the hearing.
He previously admitted to engaging in sexual communication with a minor and was sentenced by Judge David Ticehurst on Thursday, March 22, to a three-year community order.
As part of his sentence, Marks will participate in up to 20 days of rehabilitation activities, including a programme aimed at helping sex offenders.
He is also required to complete 180 hours of unpaid work, pay costs of £400, register as a sex offender, and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Prosecutor Virginia Cornwall explained that the online sting was carried out by the group Guardians of the North, who had been operating in an online chatroom.
She stated, "At the start, the girl said that she was 13 years old.
The conversation started out flirtatiously, but soon became sexual and serious." Defending Marks, barrister Rebecca Bradberry expressed that his remorse was genuine and explained that the conversation was initiated after Marks’ long-term relationship broke down.
During sentencing, Judge Ticehurst addressed Marks directly, noting, "You told the probation service that you didn't know if you were attracted to children or not.
Let me answer that question for you: You are.
You pretend otherwise because you want to hide the truth.
But the reason you were on that website talking to what you thought was a 13-year-old girl was because you wanted to be.
You wanted to be sexually involved with a 13-year-old.
That makes you a paedophile." The judge expressed concern that Marks was employed at a school at the time, which meant he was close to children.
He further emphasized that imprisonment would only result in a short custodial period, whereas a community order offered a better chance for rehabilitation.
A spokesperson for Guardians of the North, the online group that provided evidence to police, criticized the sentence, calling it "disappointing" but acknowledging that it revealed Marks’ dark secrets.
After sentencing, the group released further disturbing messages that Marks had sent to their decoy, describing intimate acts and inviting her to call him.
Following the conviction, a Labour Party representative stated, "Daniel Marks is no longer a member of the Labour Party.
A member who has been convicted of a serious crime is ineligible for Labour Party membership."
