SHAUN STONE FROM BURNHAM-ON-CROUCH SENTENCED FOR ONLINE SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING TEENAGER

In November 2016, a man from Burnham-on-Crouch was brought to justice after engaging in a disturbing online scheme aimed at a 15-year-old girl. Shaun Stone, aged 23 and residing at The Vines on Marsh Road in Burnham-on-Crouch, pleaded guilty to charges of causing or inciting a minor to participate in sexual activities and to send indecent images of herself. The case was heard at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday, November 22.

According to court proceedings, Stone initiated contact with the underage girl through various social media platforms, including Tinder, Instagram, and Snapchat, starting from January 2 of that year. His communications involved explicit messages and requests for the girl to perform sexual acts on herself and on him. The conversation persisted until the girl’s mother discovered the explicit messages, which led to the intervention and subsequent legal action.

During the hearing, Judge Christopher Morgan reviewed the details of the case. It was revealed that Stone’s interactions with the girl lasted approximately 15 minutes. Despite the brief duration, the nature of the conversation was highly inappropriate and concerning. Stone admitted during police interviews that he was aware of the girl’s age but continued the dialogue, asking her whether she would go out with someone if there was a three-year age difference, leading her to believe he was 18. His defense argued that he did not intentionally seek out a minor and that his actions were a lapse in judgment rather than grooming behavior.

Legal representatives for Stone, including Katie Armstrong, emphasized that he did not purposefully target a 15-year-old girl. She explained that his social media activity was part of his general use of Tinder and Facebook, and that the conversation was relatively short. Armstrong also highlighted that Stone suffers from mental health issues and has experienced significant personal losses, which contributed to his social isolation. She noted that he had no prior history of sexual offenses and that he is very close to his grandmother, expressing concern that this incident might damage their relationship.

Furthermore, Armstrong stated that Stone does not derive sexual pleasure from actual sexual activity but rather from discussing such topics, which she described as a problematic but non-violent compulsion. She also mentioned that he had suicidal thoughts and that his social isolation was a factor in his online behavior.

Judge Morgan addressed the court, stating that Stone’s actions—specifically asking the girl to engage in oral sex and requesting photographs—indicated that he gained sexual gratification from the conversation. The judge pointed out that the interaction was initiated on social media and that the limited relationship he had with the opposite sex was a significant factor in the case. The judge noted that the conversation might have continued further had it not been interrupted by the girl’s mother, who threatened to call the police.

While the defense argued that there was no grooming involved, the judge disagreed, emphasizing that Stone’s suggestion that the girl looked older than her age—implying she was 17 or 18—was indicative of grooming behavior. The court found that this behavior increased the likelihood of the girl engaging in the activities he incited.

As part of his sentence, Shaun Stone was handed an 18-month prison term, suspended for two years. He is also required to undertake 20 days of rehabilitation, complete 150 hours of unpaid work, and will be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. The court’s decision reflects the seriousness of the offense and the need to protect minors from online exploitation.