JOHN PAUL BULLINGHAM SENTENCED IN NEATH FOR PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED OFFENCES

John Paul Bullingham, from Bowen Street in Neath, was described by the court as a 'committed, if unsuccessful, paedophile.' The court heard that he attempted to meet a fictitious young girl and made threats to someone he believed to be an 11-year-old girl.

Police found Bullingham in possession of indecent images of children, leading to his release pending further investigation. During this period, Swansea Crown Court was told how Bullingham engaged in sexually explicit online communications with individuals he believed were young girls. These exchanges included encouragement of inappropriate behavior, plans to meet another alleged minor, and threats to a third.

Judge Paul Thomas QC addressed Bullingham during sentencing, stating: "Having heard the evidence in this case you are a committed, if unsuccessful, paedophile."

He further explained that Bullingham possessed a collection of images classified as Category A, featuring children as young as five, which had been accumulated over the course of a year.

The judge highlighted that despite being released under investigation, Bullingham continued to communicate sexually online with minors. One of these was a person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, whom he encouraged to masturbate. He also arranged to meet what he thought was a 13-year-old girl in Neath, and the court expressed confidence that, had those meetings occurred, he would have committed sexual offences.

The judge emphasized the most disturbing aspect of the case involved the fictitious 11-year-old girl. Bullingham told her that he would contact her friends and others online if she did not comply with his demands, describing this as a particularly sinister act.

Bullingham was convicted by a jury of five counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child, one count of possessing indecent images of a child, five counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and one count of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, following a trial.

Paul Hobson, acting as his mitigation, stated: "At the age of 32, this is his first significant experience of custody. He has a relatively limited criminal history and has a mild intellectual disability."

In sentencing, Judge Thomas remarked: "I believe you pose a high risk of causing serious harm to others in future." As a result, Bullingham was sentenced to eight years in prison—five and a half years of which will be served, with the remainder on extended license. Additionally, he was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and a lifelong notification requirement.