SHAUN FRANKLAND FROM LETCHWORTH JAILED AFTER SENDING INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES TO 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN CAMBRIDGE

In a serious case highlighting the ongoing dangers posed by convicted sex offenders, Shaun Frankland, a 26-year-old man from Letchworth, has been sentenced to 52 weeks in prison after admitting to messaging a 13-year-old girl through Snapchat, in clear violation of a sexual harm prevention order. The incident took place in November 2016, just months after Frankland had been given a suspended sentence for previous offences involving child sexual abuse images and making children watch pornography for his own sexual gratification.

According to court records, Frankland initiated contact with the young girl via Snapchat, an image messaging app known for its temporary messages and photos. The communication occurred on November 25, and it was a breach of the strict restrictions imposed on him, which aimed to prevent him from accessing the internet or communicating with minors. The girl’s parents, who were unaware of Frankland’s identity at first, responded to his messages by pretending to be another 13-year-old girl. During this exchange, Frankland shockingly revealed that he was masturbating, a disturbing admission that further alarmed the family.

The girl’s father recounted that Frankland, a stranger to their family, had initially contacted his daughter out of the blue, claiming to be 21 years old. When she responded that she was only 13, he persisted in trying to establish communication. The father explained, “Luckily my daughter was clever enough to say no. Something didn’t add up, so my partner added him on her Snapchat, and again he asked the same questions – it was like they were preset questions he asks everyone. Again we said we were 13 to see how he would speak to us – and after only a few minutes he was messaging us saying he was masturbating.”

Following this alarming discovery, the family conducted an online search using Frankland’s Snapchat username and uncovered his previous criminal record. They were horrified to learn that Frankland had already served a 20-week prison sentence, suspended for 24 months, in July 2016. This earlier sentence was handed down after he admitted to multiple offences involving child sexual abuse images, including making and possessing indecent photographs of children and encouraging children to watch pornography for his own sexual gratification. A sexual harm prevention order was also issued at that time, designed to restrict his internet usage and prevent him from hiding his online activity.

Despite these restrictions, Frankland continued to send inappropriate messages to underage girls, raising serious concerns about the effectiveness of the measures in place. The father expressed his initial complacency, stating, “When I first got told about him getting into contact with my daughter, I wasn’t too concerned – that’s the day and age we are in. The technology we have, anybody can contact anyone and 99 per cent of the time it is safe, a normal way of making friends. But then the messages started to get suspicious, which got me concerned and made me investigate. When I found out his name and subsequently his previous convictions I was shaking with anger. How can someone with restrictions on internet usage so easily contact a child?”

Judge David Farrell QC sentenced Frankland to 34 weeks’ imprisonment for the three breaches of his sexual harm prevention order. Additionally, he activated most of the previously suspended sentence, adding another 18 weeks to his incarceration. The court’s decision underscores the seriousness with which the justice system treats violations of protective orders and the ongoing threat posed by individuals with a history of sexual offences against children.

Earlier in July 2016, Frankland had already been convicted of similar offences. During that hearing at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court, he admitted to making and possessing indecent photographs of children, as well as causing children under 16 to view pornography for his own sexual gratification. The magistrates, led by Chairman Stephen Bubb, handed him a 20-week prison sentence, suspended for 24 months, citing his disregard for the psychological and emotional harm inflicted on victims. Frankland was also ordered to attend a sex offender treatment program comprising 60 sessions and to comply with a seven-year notification requirement. He was already on the sex offenders register for two years prior to these offences, which occurred in 2015, and was ordered to pay victim surcharges and court costs.

The case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by authorities in monitoring and managing convicted sex offenders, especially those who continue to breach restrictions and pose a risk to children in communities like Letchworth and beyond.