MAN ATTEMPTED TO GROOM 'GIRL' BY SENDING HER PICTURES OF HIS FALSE LEG
A man with a record of paedophilia attempted to groom a 13-year-old girl by sending her images of his prosthetic leg.Kevin Jones built online friendships with two individuals posing as teenagers on Facebook, but unbeknownst to him, he was caught in a sting operation run by paedophile hunters.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that the 56-year-old, from Martinhall Road in Fazakerley, communicated over six weeks during August and September with two fake accounts claiming to be girls aged 13.
His initial contact was on Facebook, which later moved to WhatsApp.
Prosecutor Joanne Cronshaw outlined that Jones asked one of the decoys for pictures of herself, and he sent images of his face and prosthetic limb.
In response, he received photos of a girl fully clothed.
Throughout their online chats, Jones mentioned an 'age difference' as a reason why they couldn’t speak properly, and reassured the girl she could trust him.
He also asked if anyone else had access to her messages, implying concern over others understanding.
The convicted paedophile, with three prior convictions, inquired if she liked older men and if she had learned about sex in school.
He constantly referred to her as a 'nice girl', noting he could not speak openly because he wanted to discuss adult topics, and confessed to masturbating.
His conversations included discussions about pornography, with him instructing her on how to access it and asking her to describe what she saw once she had done so.
The messages became more graphic when they switched to WhatsApp.
Jones, appearing via video from Altcourse Prison, instructed the girl on how to masturbate a man and asked her to send pictures of herself doing the same while calling him.
In September, he initiated contact with a second decoy by sending her a friend request on Facebook.
Their chat on WhatsApp involved him calling her a 'nice girl' and talking about masturbation.
He had previously been subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order in 2015, which restricted his online contact with children, after being jailed for a year for attempting to meet a child following grooming.
However, in 2019, he breached that order, leading to an additional 10 months' imprisonment for attempting to communicate sexually with a minor and breaching the order twice.
The court described his conduct as a 'serious, determined, and persistent breach.' During police interviews, Jones denied deriving sexual pleasure from online conversations and claimed he did not see his chats as sexual.
He explained that he started talking to the second girl because her profile showed animals, which he liked.
Defence lawyer Natalia Cornwall pointed out that Jones's prior convictions escalated the seriousness of the case, noting that he understands that sentencing will intensify if he continues his actions.
She stated he is remorseful and acknowledges he needs help.
Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting sexual communication with a minor, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and two breaches of his sexual harm prevention order.
He was sentenced to four years in prison with an additional two years on licence.
Judge Garrett Byrne described the offences as grooming, emphasising their seriousness and Jones's persistent pattern of predatory behaviour.
The judge highlighted that Jones shows manipulative tendencies and constitutes a high risk of further sexual offending.
He was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life, received a new indefinite sexual harm prevention order, and was instructed to pay a victim surcharge.
