STEPHEN LUTKINS FROM JAYWICK JAILED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENSES AND ONLINE PREDATION

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Jaywick, Stephen Lutkins, aged 49, has been sentenced to prison following a series of serious criminal activities involving a minor and violations of court orders. The sequence of events highlights a troubling pattern of behavior that persisted despite previous legal interventions.

Back in January 2018, Lutkins was convicted of possessing indecent images of children. Despite the severity of this conviction, he was handed a relatively lenient sentence, a suspended prison term, which allowed him to remain free under certain conditions. However, shortly after this sentencing, Lutkins breached the terms of his sentence and the Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) imposed on him. He failed to notify authorities of his change of address after moving to Jaywick, a coastal area known for its tight-knit community and, unfortunately, its share of social issues.

The breach of court orders and his failure to update police records set the stage for further criminal conduct. On April 7, 2018, Lutkins initiated contact with what he believed was a 13-year-old girl through a social media account created by the 'paedophile hunter' group COBRA. This group is known for setting up decoy profiles to catch online predators. Over the course of a week, Lutkins engaged in a series of messages with the decoy, who was actually a 30-year-old adult posing as a minor. During these exchanges, Lutkins provided explicit instructions on how to perform sexual acts and even lied about his age, claiming he was 30 years old.

Samantha Lowther, prosecuting, explained to the court that Lutkins went as far as asking the decoy if one of her friends could participate in the acts with her. He also expressed a desire to speak with her over the phone and even discussed the possibility of meeting in person at a local pub, raising serious concerns about his intentions and the risk to minors.

Authorities were alerted to Lutkins' online activity when the conversation was brought to their attention on April 15. Following his arrest, Lutkins admitted during police interviews that he knowingly engaged with what he believed was a 13-year-old girl. He reportedly stated, “I put my hands up to that straight away,” acknowledging his guilt.

As a result of his actions, Lutkins was sentenced to a total of 18 months in prison. The court found him guilty of multiple charges, including attempting to incite a child into sexual activity, breaching his SHPO, failing to notify authorities of his address change, and possessing indecent images of children. His sentence was structured as follows: 12 months for attempting to incite a child into sexual activity, with an additional 12 months concurrent for breaching the SHPO. He received three months concurrent for failing to comply with notification requirements. Furthermore, he was sentenced to six months each for three counts of making indecent images, with these sentences served consecutively to the other charges.

This case underscores the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement in protecting minors from online predators and highlights the importance of strict enforcement of court orders designed to prevent such offenses. The community of Jaywick, like many others, remains vigilant in the face of such disturbing criminal behavior, hoping that justice will serve as a deterrent to others contemplating similar actions.