A SOUTH TYNESIDE PERVERT TRIED TO SNARE A 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY – BY WEARING A BATMAN T-SHIRT, A COURT HEARD.
Darren Reynolds, 37, was easily unmasked when he sent a second photo of himself naked from the waist up on social media site RandoChat.
Reynolds, of Claypit Close, near River Drive, South Shields, was in fact communicating with undercover police over 24 hours in September, leading to his arrest on a child sex charge.
Deputy District Judge Arlagh Davies told him she was concerned by his sexual interest in what he believed was a schoolgirl – and jailed him for nine months, suspended for two years.
Reynolds, who pleaded guilty to being an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, was also placed on the sex offender register and handed a five-year sexual harm prevention order.
Prosecutor Mike Lawson said: “The defendant was in communication, unbeknown to him, with police in regard of online child exploitation.
“On September 26 a police officer logged on to the Rondo Chat site and received a message from the defendant.
“A conversation developed whereby it’s disclosed to the defendant initially that it was an 18-year-old female.
“He was then in communication with what he thought was a girl of 12 years of age.
‘He sent two pictures, one of a male wearing glasses and a Batman t-shirt.
The same male also posted an image of him in a towel on his lower half and naked from the top up.
“The conversation has continued through to September 27.
He asks to meet up and asks numerous times through the chat for photos of the child.
“The aggravating factors are the chat that was going on, the sexual references and photos requested by the defendant.” Joanne Gatens, defending, said: “He stopped messaging when he got up on the 27th and realised it was wrong.
“He accepts that the evidence is very clear.
There’s no evidence that he went on there to target anyone under 18.
“This was a very significant error of judgement on Mr Reynolds’ part.
I think it was more bravado, there was no intention to take it past that.” Reynolds, who the court heard is married, must also complete 30 rehabilitation days and 35 sessions on the Horizons programme, which aims to deter sex offending.
He must pay a £154 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.
This is a probabilistic continent or country-group signal from public name datasets. It is not proof of nationality, ethnicity or personal background.
Likely region signal
UK
Country
from United Kingdom
- based on first name
57.4%
confidence
First-name region
UK
United Kingdom
57.4%
Surname region
UK
United States
48.8%
Court Outcome
Conviction and Sentencing Details
Sentenced
Detected legal outcome
ars. Reynolds, who pleaded guilty to being an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, was also placed on the sex offender register and handed a five-year sexual harm prevention order. Prosecutor Mike Lawson said:...
Suspended sentence
two years
Deputy District Judge Arlagh Davies told him she was concerned by his sexual interest in what he believed was a schoolgirl - and jailed him for nine months, suspended for two years
Sex Offenders Register
Reynolds, who pleaded guilty to being an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, was also placed on the sex offender register and handed a five-year sexual harm prevention order
Court order
Reynolds, who pleaded guilty to being an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, was also placed on the sex offender register and handed a five-year sexual harm prevention order
Community order
I think it was more bravado, there was no intention to take it past that." Reynolds, who the court heard is married, must also complete 30 rehabilitation days and 35 sessions on the Horizons programme, which aims to deter sex offending
Fine or payment
He must pay a 154 victim surcharge and 85 court costs
