PHILIP TREVENA SENTENCED IN TRURO FOR ONLINE SEX OFFENCES

A pensioner and convicted paedophile named Philip Trevena has been involved in serious online criminal activity. He was caught messaging what he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, engaging in sexualised conversations over six days in October 2021. During these exchanges, Trevena asked the girl if she liked sex, instructed her to send naked pictures, and suggested sexual acts including using a carrot in a sex act, as well as masturbating. Toward the end of the online interaction, he requested to meet the girl in person. However, the individual at the other end was actually an adult acting as a paedophile hunter, who then forwarded the conversation and Trevena's address to police authorities. It was revealed that Trevena was already on the sex offenders' register for life after serving time for sexual activity with a child. During his court hearing at Truro Crown Court, his defence team stated that Trevena had pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity. They also mentioned that delays in the legal process had resulted in a three-year wait for his case to be heard. The defence claimed Trevena had cooperated with authorities and was in poor health, with tests for liver cirrhosis upcoming. The judge described Trevena's offences as extremely serious, involving a sexual conversation over multiple days with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, who was actually an adult pretending to be a minor. Despite the inexcusable nature of the offences, the judge acknowledged Trevena’s remorse and his ongoing participation in community-based sex offender management programs. Ultimately, Trevena was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, with conditions including 35 sessions of an accredited programme, 30 days of rehabilitation, and lifetime registration as a sex offender, alongside special restrictions on internet access.