SEAN ATTENBOROUGH AND SHOCKING PAEDOPHILE CASE IN OXFORD
A judge expressed significant concern over the charges brought against Sean Attenborough, a convicted sex offender with a troubling history, during ongoing proceedings in Oxford.The case has raised questions about the adequacy of the prosecution's choice of charges, given the gravity of the criminal conduct involved.
Recorder Paul Reid, who presided over the case, brought up these concerns directly to prosecutor Honor Fitzgerald.
He pointed out that it could be viewed as 'potentially inadequate' that Attenborough was only charged with attempting to incite a child to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity, despite the evidence suggesting a far more serious intent.
The judge remarked, 'Perhaps you could communicate to the Crown Prosecution Service my remarks about this because it seems to me that the charge is or could be described as potentially inadequate.' The situation was further complicated by the fact that this was Attenborough’s third set of sexual convictions within a span of just seven years, highlighting a pattern of concerning behavior.
The judge stated, 'I’ve come across many cases like this.
This is one of the very worst, and it’s also the first in my experience where the undercover police officer has actually spoken on the telephone to the defendant.' Earlier in the court proceedings, it emerged that Attenborough was already under a suspended prison sentence, handed down in January of that year, when he began communicating with what he believed to be a young woman via the chatroom website Chatiw.
During their online interactions, he inquired if she liked ‘older men,’ revealing his interest in pursuing illicit contact.
The conversation transitioned from the chatroom to Snapchat, where the 'girl' disclosed that she was only 13 years old.
Unknown to him, the individual on the other end of the line was an undercover police officer tasked with catching potential paedophiles.
Attenborough was swiftly ensnared in the officer’s trap as he repeatedly asked for explicit pictures of the girl with her ‘onesie’ pajamas unzipped to her waist, encouraged her to perform sex acts on herself, and even offered to send images of his own genitalia.
He also persistently talked about meeting her in a hotel for sex, demonstrating clear intent to engage in illegal activity.
In a rare occurrence in such investigations, the defendant and the 'girl' also communicated via telephone calls, further cementing the seriousness of the case.
In September, Attenborough, whose address was listed as ‘no fixed abode,’ was arrested.
Authorities carried out an extensive analysis of his devices, uncovering a small number of indecent images of children.
His use of a digital device that had not been registered with the police to contact what he believed was a minor constituted a breach of a sexual harm prevention order previously imposed earlier that year.
In September, he pleaded guilty at the magistrates’ court to multiple charges, including breaching the sexual harm prevention order, attempting to communicate sexually with a child, attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity, and related offences.
The probation service provided a pre-sentence report described as 'very damning,' which painted a disturbing picture of the defendant's high risk of causing serious harm.
Advocates for Attenborough’s mitigation, including Dana Bilan, stated that he had not yet begun the Horizon sex offender treatment programme at the time of his arrest, citing this as part of his ongoing rehabilitation process.
The father of two grown-up children was described as 'realistic' about the potential penalties, fully understanding that an immediate custodial sentence was likely.
In sentencing, Recorder Paul Reid handed down a total term of 44 months, which included activating an earlier eight-month sentence that the offender had not yet served.
This case has once again highlighted the serious dangers posed by repeat offenders in the realm of child sexual exploitation in Oxford.
