PAEDOPHILE JAILED AFTER SENDING MESSAGES TO DECOY ACCOUNT
A man who sent sexually explicit images to someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl cited loneliness as the reason for his wrongdoing.Jack Goodacre, aged 28, had already pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children back in March, but he continued to offend by engaging in sexual messaging with an online account while he was on bail.
In July, he reached out to a decoy account, asking if he could communicate with a girl named Melissa.
During their WhatsApp discussion, Goodacre described her as "pretty" and "cute," and inquired whether she would be his first girlfriend.
Prosecutor Abby Robinson explained that he asked for a photo of the decoy’s legs and forwarded two images of himself one of which depicted him naked.
The conversation grew more intimate, with Goodacre stating he would book a hotel for them and sending a video of himself performing a sex act along with a picture of a sex toy.
The decoy group tracking the account recorded these exchanges and reported them to police, leading to his arrest.
The court was told that Goodacre, living in Victoria Chase, Colchester, had previously admitted to three counts of possessing indecent images of children, including ones as young as six, in March.
He also admitted attempting to involve a child in sexual activities, encouraging a child to view sexual acts, and possessing Category B images.
He was remanded into custody.
Defending, Mark Brown highlighted that Goodacre had no significant prior criminal record, was employed full-time, and had his own flat.
Brown explained that his client’s actions were motivated by loneliness and that the realization of going into custody was a shock to him.
Judge David Pugh sentenced Goodacre to 16 months’ immediate imprisonment, stating that the sentence should not be suspended.
He was also ordered to register as a sex offender and will face notification obligations for ten years.
