PENRITH MAN JAILED FOR TRYING TO CONTACT CHILD ONLINE
A man from Penrith has been sentenced to prison after attempting to engage in sexual conversations with what he believed were 14-year-old children online.David Winkley-Balmer, 30, was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court on Friday, May 29, after pleading guilty to two counts of attempting to communicate sexually with a child and one count of attempting to cause a child to view sexual activity.
The offences were detected by Red Rose UK, an online child protection group that works to expose individuals who seek sexual contact with children on the internet.
The organisation conducts decoy operations in which trained volunteers pose as underage children online, gathering evidence of inappropriate and illegal communications before passing information to police.
In this case, Winkley-Balmer continued to engage in sexually explicit conversations despite being told that the profiles belonged to 14-year-old children.
No real children were involved, with the accounts being operated by Red Rose UK as part of a safeguarding operation designed to identify and report suspected offenders.
Evidence obtained during the operation was provided to police and formed part of the investigation that led to Winkley-Balmer's arrest, prosecution and conviction.
The case highlights the ongoing role played by groups such as Red Rose UK in assisting law enforcement by identifying individuals who target children online and helping to prevent potential abuse before it occurs.
The 12-month custodial sentence imposed for the sexual offences was combined with a previous burglary conviction, resulting in a total sentence of two years and four months in prison.
Winkley-Balmer, of Mill Street, Penrith, was also made subject to a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and has been placed on the sex offenders register.
Detective Constable Alice Wood, from Westmorland and Furness CID, said: "Winkley-Balmer was fully aware that the two 'children' he was speaking to were only 14 years old when he engaged in conversations of a sexual nature.
Fortunately, no actual minors were involved in this case, but it's evident that Winkley-Balmer presents a risk to young people.
"We are dedicated to protecting children from those who seek to harm them, and we will do everything possible to ensure offenders are prosecuted.
I encourage parents and guardians to stay informed about their children's online activities-ask questions and guide them to use the internet safely!"
