December 2019 Man who asked for sexual images from underage girls is jailed A 27-year-old man who created an online alias in an attempt to persuade under-age girls to send him indecent images has been jailed for three years and eight months. Francis Mowday Carlton Park, Manby asked the girls, some as young as 12 and from across the UK, to send the images. He posted under an assumed name, used a fake photograph, and told at least one of the girls that he was under 18. The investigation began in May 2017 when a relative of one of the victims saw indecent images on her mobile phone. They reported it to police who subsequently attended Mowday’s home and arrested him. Various devices including a laptop and mobile phones were later seized, and further images were discovered. Included in these conversations is clear evidence that Mowday was told by one of the victims that she was underage. There was no physical contact between Mowday and the victims. Mowday, of Carlton Park, Manby, had already admitted five charges of causing a child to engage in sexual activity; one charge of sexual communication with a child; and three charges of making a total of 459 indecent images of a child, at an earlier hearing. Today (10 December) he appeared at Lincoln Crown Court and was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and given a sexual harm prevention order until further notice. The sentences were: •Cause a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity: Three years, eight months; •Cause a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity: 16 months concurrent; •Cause a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity: Two years concurrent; •Cause a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity: Three years, eight months concurrent; •Cause a child to engage in sexual activity: 16 months concurrent; •Sexual communication with a child: Eight months concurrent; •Make indecent photographs: Eight months concurrent; •Make indecent photographs: Four months concurrent; •Make indecent photographs: One month concurrent. DC Wayne Pilkington said: “Mowday made up a profile and pretended to be someone completely different to trick young girls into sending him images. “Mowday has been jailed for these crimes, all committed on his laptop and mobile phone. “Young victims have been exploited by a man who did not care for their age or vulnerability.”