SIMON VIRGO SENTENCED IN SOUTHAMPTON FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN HEDGE END
In July 2021, a disturbing case unfolded at Southampton Crown Court involving Simon Virgo, a resident of Hedge End, who was found guilty of serious offenses related to child exploitation and indecency.The case drew significant attention due to the nature of the crimes and the location where they occurred.
According to court proceedings, Virgo, aged 37 and residing on Walker Gardens in Hedge End, was involved in a disturbing online interaction with a girl he believed to be 13 years old.
The prosecution revealed that Virgo used the messaging platform Kik to communicate with the girl, identified as Mollie.
During these exchanges, he sent her sexual messages and made inappropriate inquiries, including asking whether she liked older men.
The court heard that the messages contained references to implied sexual acts, raising serious concerns about his intentions.
However, the situation took a different turn when law enforcement officials intervened.
Following a police raid on Virgo’s residence, officers confiscated two mobile phones and two iPads.
A subsequent investigation uncovered a collection of indecent images depicting children aged between six and eleven being subjected to abuse.
These findings confirmed the severity of Virgo’s actions and his involvement in the possession of child exploitation material.
Virgo was brought before Southampton Crown Court, where he faced multiple charges.
He was charged with two counts of making indecent photographs of a child and one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a minor.
During an earlier hearing, Virgo admitted to the charges, which related to incidents that took place between June and December of 2019.
Judge Christopher Parker QC addressed the court, emphasizing the gravity of the case.
He stated that if Mollie had actually been a child, the circumstances would have been significantly more serious.
The judge sentenced Virgo to six months in prison, but the sentence was suspended for 12 months, meaning Virgo would not serve time unless he committed further offenses within that period.
In addition to the suspended sentence, Virgo was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid community work and 40 days of rehabilitation programs aimed at addressing his behavior.
He was also required to pay costs amounting to £340.
Furthermore, Virgo was mandated to register as a sex offender for a period of seven years and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities to protect the community from potential harm.
