JOSHUA SIBBALT SHOCKING PAEDOPHILE ACTS IN CUMBRIA
A 23-year-old man from Workington, Cumbria, who was previously jailed in 2020 for sexual offenses involving minors, effectively resumed his predatory behavior shortly after his release from prison.His latest offences, which involved attempting to engage in sexual conversations with what he believed were underage girls online, were uncovered through the diligent work of two volunteer paedophile hunter groups.
These groups, known as Team Shade and Book of Exposure, utilize decoys—who are posed as girls aged 13 and 14—to catch individuals attempting to contact minors for sexual purposes.
The case was presented to Carlisle Crown Court, where it was revealed that Joshua Sibbald, of Salterbeck Drive, Workington, admitted to eight counts of attempting to sexually communicate with a child and three counts of downloading child abuse images.
Among these images, three were classified as Category A, indicating the most severe level of abuse.
Additionally, he pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order that had been previously imposed on him.
Prosecutor Gerard Rogerson provided a detailed account of the incidents, explaining that Sibbald's latest illegal activities began shortly after completing a three-year prison sentence.
In February of the year in question, after his release, Sibbald allegedly started browsing online platforms using two specific websites.
There, he sought to contact young girls whom he believed to be aged 13 and 14.
However, the profiles he clicked on were not genuine; they were profiles created by the volunteer groups as part of their efforts to catch individuals with harmful intentions towards minors.
According to Mr.
Rogerson, one of the activists, who was posing as a 14-year-old girl, was contacted by Sibbald on February 14.
Despite her explicitly stating her age, Sibbald made it clear he was interested in meeting for sexual activity.
During their communication, he expressed that he was aroused by her and suggested they should meet to have sex.
When she responded that she was only 14 and could not engage in such activities, Sibbald did not respond to her boundary and continued to pursue similar conversations with other decoys.
His messages included discussions of sexual acts and requests for nude photographs.
The prosecutor emphasized that Sibbald explicitly discussed having sexual intercourse with these decoy girls and showed no hesitation despite their clear statements about their ages.
His communications ranged from explicit sexual discussions to explicit requests for images, indicating a concerning pattern of inappropriate behavior towards supposed minors.
Experts have assessed Sibbald as posing a “high risk of serious harm” to children in the future.
Recognizing the severity of his actions, Recorder Tony Hawks expressed deep regret that Sibbald was not provided with proper intervention or support to address his sexual interests during his previous sentence.
The court was also told that Sibbald has a low IQ, alongside diagnoses of ADHD, unstable emotional personality disorder, and some degree of autism, which complicates his psychological profile.
Kim Whittlestone, defending Sibbald, highlighted that recent psychiatric and probation reports suggest the young man is deeply troubled and has not received the necessary support to manage his issues.
She explained that during a video consultation, Sibbald became extremely distressed and expressed a desire to understand why he behaves in such harmful ways.
She argued that there is some clarity on the factors contributing to his behavior and that with appropriate support, the risk of reoffending might be reduced.
Ms.
Whittlestone further revealed that, due to COVID-19 restrictions, Sibbald’s time in custody was marred by limited access to rehabilitative programs, resulting in his living in relative isolation after his release.
She stated that part of his issues were exacerbated by alcohol consumption, which was a factor during some of his offending episodes.
In imposing sentence, Recorder Tony Hawks acknowledged Sibbald’s various psychological and educational difficulties but emphasized that his awareness of the criminal nature of his actions was clear.
The judge noted that Sibbald knew very well that what he did was wrong and that it was unacceptable behavior.
As a result, Sibbald was sentenced to two years in custody.
The court also ordered he will be required to register as a sex offender for ten years.
The judge expressed regret that during his previous incarceration, there was apparently no effective intervention to address Sibbald's deep-seated issues, which ultimately contributed to his subsequent offending in Cumbria.
