SWINDON MAN JONJO NEALE CAUGHT ONLINE PREDATOR TRYING TO LURE UNDERAGE GIRLS
In April 2017, a disturbing case unfolded involving Jonjo Neale, a man from Swindon who engaged in heinous online activities targeting underage girls.Neale, a 32-year-old sales assistant working at the computer gaming retailer 'Game' in Swindon, believed he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl when he made a shocking promise to her: he said he would buy her a helicopter in exchange for her virginity.
Unbeknownst to Neale, the person he was chatting with was not a young girl but an undercover police officer conducting an operation to catch online predators.
The police had set up a sting by creating a fake profile under the name Kayleigh on popular chat sites frequented by teenagers.
It was through this online persona that Neale initiated contact.
According to the prosecution, Hannah Squire, during her presentation at Swindon Crown Court, detailed how Neale engaged in lengthy online conversations, often lasting two to three hours, with the fictitious teenage girl.
The conversations gradually turned sexual, with Neale asking her to send explicit pictures and making inappropriate comments about her age.
One of the most alarming offers he made was to buy her a helicopter in exchange for her virginity, a bizarre and disturbing proposition.
Neale also pressured the fake girl to upload provocative images to a 'jail bait' gallery, a platform where underage girls post revealing photos.
Police investigations revealed that Neale had been in contact with at least 30 other underage girls through various online channels.
When his computer was seized, authorities discovered evidence of his attempts to contact minors, including a girl who could not be identified by her username, whom he urged to perform sexual acts on herself using a hairbrush.
Further examination of his online activity uncovered conversations with 12-year-olds, to whom he sent links to pornography and performed sex acts online in front of the young girls.
When questioned by police, Neale admitted to engaging in these activities between 2012 and 2015, acknowledging his inappropriate conduct.
Neale faced multiple charges, including four counts of attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child and four counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
His actions prompted serious concern from the court regarding his predisposition toward paedophilia, with Judge Robert Pawson emphasizing the need for appropriate sentencing to protect the public.
Initially, the judge considered a custodial sentence of two-and-a-half years but ultimately decided that a minimum of two years in prison was necessary for Neale to benefit from a sex offender treatment program.
Given the nature of his offenses, the judge imposed a four-year sentence, with the understanding that Neale would serve half of that time in custody.
The court also ordered a three-year community order, including participation in a sex offenders' program and 60 days of rehabilitation activities.
Additionally, Neale was subjected to a 12-year sexual harm prevention order and was required to register as a sex offender for five years.
The court's decision aimed to both punish Neale and implement measures to prevent further harm, reflecting the serious nature of his crimes and the ongoing threat posed by online predators.
