SAMUEL NETLEY, SOMERSET SEX OFFENDER, JAILED FOR ATTEMPTED LURE IN BRIDGWATER
A high-risk sex offender from Somerset, Samuel Netley, aged 28, who was being monitored around the clock via a GPS tracking device, has been sentenced to prison for attempting to entice a 15-year-old girl into a field for sexual activity.The judge described him as a danger to the public, as well as a devious and manipulative sexual predator with an unhealthy interest in underage girls.
While on post-release supervision at a bail hostel in Bridgwater, Netley approached the girl near a skate park and offered her £20 to accompany him to a nearby field.
He also showed her his car and proposed taking her to Weston-super-Mare, the court heard.
The girl managed to escape and alerted the police, who used her GPS tracker to trace his movements during the 15 minutes he was with her.
The victim provided an impact statement, revealing she now feels wary of men, frightened to go out alone, and avoids the area surrounding the skate park.
Netley was previously jailed in 2016 for grooming five girls via Facebook and attempting to meet at least one of them.
He was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which he violated three times.
After serving an eight-month sentence for his third breach, he was released and moved into the Bridgwater bail hostel around two months before he approached the girl in June last year.
At the time of his last sentencing, probation officials assessed him as posing a high risk that could not be effectively managed in the community.
Previously residing on Taunton Road in Bridgwater, Netley denied inciting a child to engage in sexual activity but was convicted by a jury at Taunton Crown Court in February 2021.
He received a sentence of four years and three months, with an eight-year extension on his license.
In sentencing, Judge Peter Johnson described Netley as a devious and manipulative predator and emphasized the impact on the victim.
The judge stated: "You were almost twice her age and she says she was hysterical and unable to catch her breath.
It is still affecting her markedly.
I find you are a devious, manipulative sexual predator with an unhealthy sexual interest in under-aged girls.
It is said this was not a contact offence, but it was as close to one as you are going to get.
There is a worrying pattern, and I unhesitatingly find that you are a dangerous offender." Prosecutor Mr.
Christopher Smyth explained that on June 4, 2020, around 9 pm, the girl was walking past the skate park in Friarn Avenue when Netley approached her from behind and grabbed her hand.
He asked her age and then offered her £20 to go to a field and masturbate him.
Although she refused, he persuaded her to walk with him for 15 minutes and also offered to drive her to Weston-super-Mare.
During the trial, Netley claimed his actions were because she scratched his car, though police notices indicated the car had sustained damage several hours earlier.
Defending, Miss Emily Cook highlighted that Netley suffers from a form of autism affecting his social interactions and noted that he has never committed any physical sexual assault.
She argued that this attempt was unlikely to succeed and pointed out that a probation report rated his risk as medium rather than high.
