Online predator David Williams sentenced for child grooming

A depraved paedophile, David Williams, 59, from Hamilton Close in Latchford, was involved in a concerning online incident where he communicated with a decoy posing as a 14-year-old girl. The group Predator’s Exposed crafted a fake Facebook profile for this decoy, which Williams accepted and initiated contact. After sending a friend request and complimenting her, Williams continued to engage despite being told she was only 14. He apologized but persisted, asking for pictures and sharing pictures of himself. He also attempted to steer the conversation toward sexual content, claiming he was watching pornography and advising the decoy on online safety. Despite continuous apologies from Williams, he escalated the sexual dialogue, asking her to perform sex acts on herself and search for pornography. Williams later admitted to police that he believed he was speaking to a teenage girl and denied having a sexual interest in children. During the court hearing, Judge Simon Medland highlighted Williams' 'naivety and desperation,' as well as his 'deviant attraction to a prepubescent girl.' Williams pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to communicate with a child for sexual purposes and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 30 rehabilitation days, abide by a sexual harm prevention order, and register on the sex offenders register for the next ten years. The court noted that Williams has three previous convictions for seven offences and was brought to justice for his actions which he expressed remorse for, stating he was 'deeply ashamed' and 'in a dark place at the time.' His medical history, which was not heard in court, was mentioned as contributing to his limited outside social life.