DAVID READING SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCE IN WARRINGTON AND LIVERPOOL CROWN COURT
A man identified as David Reading from Warrington has been sentenced to prison after engaging in disturbing online communications with someone he believed to be a young girl.The conviction stems from his attempt to solicit sexual acts and share explicit images with a profile he thought belonged to a 12-year-old, only to be revealed later as an undercover police officer aiming to catch online child predators.
The incident was brought before Liverpool Crown Court on a Wednesday, where the judge determined that the severity of Reading’s actions warranted an immediate custodial sentence.
The 38-year-old man had previously admitted to multiple charges, including attempting to induce a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting sexual communication with a minor, attempting to persuade a child to view sexual acts, possessing indecent images of children, and creating such images.
His court appearance followed a detailed investigation into his online behavior.
Prosecutor Jamie Baxter outlined the events of November 22 of the previous year, detailing how Reading initiated a conversation with a user on the chat platform Chatiw—a site notorious for misuse by individuals seeking children for sexual exploitation.
During the exchange, Reading believed he was communicating with a 12-year-old girl, but it was actually an undercover officer working for law enforcement agencies to identify and apprehend individuals seeking to engage in similar illegal activities.
Reading's online profile listed his name as David, claimed he was a 37-year-old from Cheshire, and used the username NotInSchool.
His account described itself as belonging to an 18-year-old girl from Lancashire, which is the minimum age threshold for creating an account on the platform.
The conversation was initiated with a message from Reading asking, "What do you think," accompanied by a photo of his genitals.
The girl responded with confusion, asking why he sent such images, and revealed she was not actually 18 but only 12.
When Reading inquired about her age, he sent another explicit image, reaffirming the age and suggesting that it was acceptable.
At one point, Reading asked her if she thought his penis was small and requested her ID on Kik Messenger, another social media service.
He then added the girl, whose Kik profile was under the name Izzy Jane, and sent her a video lasting 15 seconds depicting him performing a sex act.
Further into the conversation, he sent additional images of his erect penis and urged her to send naked photographs of herself, despite her repeatedly emphasizing her age of 12.
On another occasion, he claimed he was in bed and asked if she wanted to perform a sex act or show him her knickers.
Law enforcement authorities subsequently traced his IP address back to his residence in Warrington.
On January 7 of this year, police officers from Cheshire Police’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team executed an arrest at his home at approximately 6:50 a.m.
Numerous electronic devices were seized during the raid, and Reading provided no comment during police interviews.
A forensic examination of his devices revealed six indecent images of children, rated as category C, which included photos of minors as young as nine engaging in sexual poses.
This evidence further substantiated the charges against him.
The court noted that Reading did not have any prior convictions, with his only previous encounter with the law being a police caution for disorderly conduct during the year 2004.
In his defense, his lawyer Jeremy Rawson highlighted Reading’s prompt guilty pleas, remorsefulness, and the lack of a criminal record apart from the incident, describing him as someone who has led a generally blameless life.
The barrister argued for a sentence that could be suspended, emphasizing Reading’s willingness to undergo rehabilitation and his remorse.
However, the judge, Anil Murray, dismissed these pleas for leniency.
He stated that in light of the gravity of Reading’s behavior, the only appropriate punishment was immediate imprisonment.
Reading, who resides on Orford Avenue, was subsequently sentenced to 16 months in prison.
Additionally, he was subject to a sexual harm prevention order lasting ten years and required to register as a sex offender for the same duration.
The court also approved a deprivation order concerning his iPhone, which contained the indecent images, further restricting his access to similar material.
This case underscores ongoing efforts by authorities to combat online child exploitation and highlights the serious legal repercussions faced by individuals attempting to engage with minors through digital platforms.
