JAMES WEBSTER FROM DARLINGTON CAUGHT SENDING SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MESSAGES TO UNDERAGE GIRL

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Darlington, James Webster, a 59-year-old man, was found to have engaged in a series of inappropriate and sexually explicit communications with a minor girl. The incident came to light after Webster obtained the teenager's Snapchat contact and proceeded to send her a barrage of highly inappropriate messages over a span of three weeks.

During this period, Webster made numerous disturbing remarks, openly discussing his sexual fantasies and desires with the young girl. The gravity of his actions was revealed during a court hearing at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court, where it was disclosed that his behavior was eventually reported to the police. Following the report, Webster was arrested and taken into custody.

At the conclusion of the hearing, a member of the girl’s family publicly branded Webster a ‘paedo’ as he exited the courtroom from the public gallery, reflecting the community’s outrage and condemnation of his actions.

Prosecutor Stephen Davies detailed the extent of Webster’s misconduct, stating that the defendant repeatedly urged the teenager to block him, acknowledging that he was ‘hell-bound’ but continuing to send her highly sexualized messages nonetheless. Davies recounted Webster’s own words, including a message in which he suggested that he should turn himself into the police because he was a pervert.

The court was also informed that Webster expressed an obsessive interest in the girl, telling her he couldn’t stop thinking about her in her underwear and explicitly stating his desire to have sex with her. When questioned by authorities after his arrest, Webster admitted to knowing that he shouldn’t have been messaging the girl but initially denied that his motives were driven by sexual gratification.

It was established that Webster, who was formerly residing in Darlington, pleaded guilty in March of the previous year to charges of sexual communication with a child during the months of April and March.

During mitigation, solicitor Sophie Johnstone acknowledged the serious nature of the offense, noting that Webster had lost his job of 33 years and that his marriage had fallen apart under the strain of the situation. She emphasized that Webster fully accepted the wrongfulness of his actions and expressed remorse, stating, “He is completely ashamed of his behaviour and he wishes to apologise for the contents.”

Judge Steven Hood delivered his sentence, which included a four-month prison term suspended for 18 months. The judge warned Webster that any re-offense would result in immediate custody. He remarked, “You told the Probation Service that there was no sexual gratification – I simply do not accept that and neither do the Probation Service. You appear to have committed these offences for your own sexual gratification but you were maybe too embarrassed to admit it to the Probation Service.”

In addition to the suspended sentence, Webster was ordered to complete 40 days of rehabilitation activities and perform 100 hours of unpaid community service. He was also mandated to register as a sex offender for seven years, and a five-year sexual harm prevention order was imposed. Furthermore, he was instructed to pay his victim £150 in compensation and cover court costs amounting to £239.