MARK CHESTER'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN SWINDON: REPEAT OFFENDER FACES JAIL FOR ONLINE GROOMING AND CHILD SEX OFFENCES
In December 2018, Mark Chester, a known sex offender from Swindon, was sentenced to a total of five years in prison, with a minimum term of three years and nine months to be served before eligibility for parole.This sentencing followed a series of serious convictions related to his repeated attempts to exploit children online.
Earlier in November 2018, Chester was caught in a sting operation conducted by paedophile hunters.
The operation was triggered after Chester engaged in online conversations with what he believed was a young girl on Facebook Messenger and various chat rooms, despite being under a court-imposed ban from such activities.
The hunters visited his residence on Shrivenham Road in Swindon after establishing contact with him through online interactions, during which Chester believed he was communicating with an underage girl.
The operation resulted in his arrest, and he was subsequently remanded in custody to facilitate the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
This report aims to assess whether Chester should be classified as a dangerous offender, which could influence the length and conditions of his imprisonment.
At his court appearance at Swindon Crown Court, Chester, aged 40, pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and breaching a sexual offences prevention order.
His defense lawyer, Anna Midgley, requested an adjournment to allow for the completion of a pre-sentence report, which would include an assessment by a psychiatrist or psychologist.
She noted that such an assessment had been conducted previously, indicating Chester’s mental age was approximately 14 years old, and expressed hope that this information would be available to the sentencing judge.
Judge Robert Pawson responded by scheduling the sentencing for December 19, 2018, and emphasized the importance of the pre-sentence report in determining whether Chester qualifies as a dangerous offender.
The judge explained that Chester’s guilty plea to serious criminal offences, combined with the psychological assessment, would guide the sentencing decision.
He warned Chester that, based on the evidence, the case likely met the threshold for a custodial sentence, meaning imprisonment was the most probable outcome.
Chester was informed that he would remain in custody until the sentencing date.
Chester’s criminal history is extensive and troubling.
In May of the previous year, he was sentenced to two years in prison after being caught using library computers to contact young girls as young as 11 on platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp, under aliases such as Mark James and James Smith.
This incident occurred while Chester was on early release from a four-year sentence for six offences involving contact with an 11-year-old boy via Xbox, encouraging him to perform sexual acts during webcam chats.
The mother of the young boy discovered the messages, which led to Chester’s arrest.
His earlier prison term was later reduced from four and a half years to four on appeal.
Prior to that, Chester had been convicted in 2013 of contacting an 11-year-old boy through Xbox, encouraging him to engage in sexual acts, and attempting to lure him to Chester’s home.
He was sentenced to four and a half years for these offences.
Chester’s criminal record also includes a conviction for texting a 12-year-old girl and trying to persuade her to send nude photographs.
In May 2017, Chester was jailed for two years after using library computers to contact underage girls, some as young as 11.
The case revealed that Chester had previously been convicted in 2013 for similar offences involving an 11-year-old boy, and he was subject to a sexual offences prevention order that restricted his contact with minors.
The police investigation was initiated after a colleague of Chester’s reported his online activities, which included following numerous young girls on social media and breaching the court order.
Chester’s online aliases included Mark James and James Smith, and he was found to be following at least 96 individuals, with at least seven identified as under 16.
In April 2014, Chester successfully appealed a four-and-a-half-year sentence for grooming an 11-year-old boy online.
The appeal court reduced his sentence by six months, citing that he did not receive sufficient credit for his guilty pleas.
The court noted Chester’s use of a web camera on his Xbox to communicate with the victim, and the mother’s efforts in setting up a sting operation that captured Chester inviting the boy to his house.
Chester initially denied wrongdoing but later admitted to multiple counts of inciting sexual activity and engaging in sexual acts in the presence of a child.
Throughout his criminal history, Chester has demonstrated a pattern of preying on minors through online platforms, using various aliases and devices to facilitate his offences.
His case underscores the ongoing dangers posed by online grooming and the importance of vigilance among parents and guardians to protect children from such predators.
The court’s upcoming decision on whether Chester is classified as a dangerous offender will significantly impact his future imprisonment and the safety of the community in Swindon.
