JOSHUA PARKER'S SHOCKING SEX OFFENCES IN PLYMOUTH AND DEVONPORT REVEALED
In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Plymouth and Devonport, Joshua Parker, a 20-year-old man, was found guilty of a series of serious sexual offences involving underage girls.The crimes, which spanned over a period of time, included grooming, sexual activity with minors as young as 12, and the sending of explicit images and messages via social media platforms, primarily Facebook.
According to court records, Parker, who resided in Sutton Court, Devonport, used fake Facebook accounts to contact numerous young girls, some as young as 12 years old.
His online interactions were characterized by sexually explicit messages, videos, and calls.
One particularly alarming incident involved Parker initiating a video call during which he was masturbating, which was answered by a 12-year-old girl.
The girl, shocked and frightened by what she saw, immediately informed her father, who then contacted the police.
This incident marked the beginning of a police investigation that uncovered a pattern of grooming and exploitation.
Further investigations revealed that Parker had groomed nearly 50 other young girls through Facebook, many of whom he had met in person.
Some of these meetings resulted in sexual activity, with at least one girl, aged 15, engaging in sexual encounters with him on multiple occasions.
Another girl, only 14 years old, was reported to have kissed and cuddled with Parker during their meetings.
The court heard that Parker's actions were not isolated but part of a broader pattern of predatory behavior.
During the trial at Plymouth Crown Court, Parker pleaded guilty to eight serious sexual offences, including three counts of sexual activity with a child, sexual assault by touching, causing a child to watch a sexual act, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, and malicious communications involving the sending of explicit images to girls as young as 12.
The prosecution detailed how Parker had set up a Facebook account under a false name, which he used to add and contact nearly 400 schoolgirls under the age of 16, grooming them for his own sexual gratification.
The court was also informed of a particularly disturbing incident where Parker contacted a 12-year-old girl via FaceTime.
When she answered the call, she found him masturbating on camera.
The call lasted approximately 20 seconds, leaving the girl shocked and scared.
She confided in her father, who promptly reported the incident to the police.
Over the following days, Parker continued to send sexually explicit messages to the girl, prompting a police investigation that uncovered his grooming of multiple victims.
Police investigations revealed that Parker had threatened some of the girls into silence, warning them that he would post false information about them online if they tried to speak out.
The evidence also showed that Parker had engaged in sexual activities with some of the girls he met, and he had used intimidation tactics to maintain control over his victims.
His actions spanned across Plymouth, Devon, and Cornwall, areas where he could easily travel to meet his victims.
In court, Parker's legal team argued that his sentence was excessively harsh, citing his age at the time of some offences and a psychological assessment indicating he was severely anxious, depressed, and at risk of self-harm.
They contended that the original sentence of six years and four months was manifestly excessive and should be reduced.
After a hearing before senior judges, including Judge Mark Lucraft QC and Mrs Justice Nicola Davies, the sentence was reduced to five years.
The judges emphasized that the original sentence did not sufficiently account for Parker's age and psychological state, and they described the initial punishment as
