December 2011 Former Oldbury army sergeant spared jail after indecent pictures found A former Sergeant in the Army Cadet Force at Oldbury who was trained in child protection has been spared time behind bars for a string of sex offences against young girls. James Moylan “showered” his victims who were aged between 13 and 16 with affection to persuade them to send him sexy and provocative photographs of themselves in their underwear or when they were naked. Judge Nicholas Webb said it was clear the 21 year old had “pestered and persisted” with the girls until they relented to “get them to do something for him.” He told 6ft 6″ Moylan who was suspended from the Army when the offences came to light, “The images were like trophies to you and you behaved like a dirty young man.” It was good, added the Judge, that the four victims could “rest comfortably” in the knowledge that the photographs had been destroyed after being stored on Moylan’s computer. “I think each of these girls was badly used by you but, thankfully, not as badly as girls in other cases that come before the court,” said the Judge. Moylan of Borneo Street, Walsall admitted three charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two of making indecent photographs of a child. He was placed on Supervision for three years with a condition he attends the Community Sex Offenders Group Programme and also ordered to register as a Sex Offender for 5 years. The Judge further told Moylan he must pay £1,200 costs and he disqualified him indefinitely from working in any capacity with children. “My concern is to make you a better person,” said the Judge. “You deserve a short prison sentence but it is important to make you learn the error of your ways.” Mr Rashad Mohammed defending told Wolverhampton Crown Court that Moylan who committed the offences between November 2008 and March 2010 was ashamed and full of remorse for his behaviour. He said he was in a relationship that fell into difficulties and he then found “some comfort” getting in touch with the young girls. “It all started off as friendly exchanges of email messages and general chit chat but he accepts the time came when it went beyond that,” said Mr Mohammed. Mr Lee Marklew prosecuting said the offences came to light when one of the girls who was told by Moylan he had strong feelings for her mistakenly saw a text message in which he was abusive towards her. She complained to her mother who notified the police and Moylan was then suspended by his Commander. There was no evidence any of the images had been distributed, stressed Mr Marklew, with the victims expressing their horror when they were told the photographs had been stored by Moylan.