Middlesbrough pharmacist jailed for grooming 14-year-old on Snapchat

MIDDLESBROUGH PHARMACIST JAILED FOR GROOMING 14-YEAR-OLD ON SNAPCHAT

A pharmacist named Tony O’Neill, residing on Hoskins Lane in Middlesbrough, was involved in grooming a boy on Snapchat.

He pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a boy under 16 years of age following grooming in May last year.

During the police investigation, it was revealed that O’Neill contacted the decoy, who was an undercover police officer posing as a 14-year-old boy, via a gay dating website before moving the conversation onto Snapchat.

He expressed a desire to meet the boy after Finding him online, and the messages included photographs and flirtatious comments.

Despite being warned that he was talking to a young teenager, O’Neill continued with the conversations, which became more sexualized.

He sent a naked photo of himself and asked the boy to meet at his workplace.

He also instructed a colleague to work from home on the day he planned to meet the decoy.

The court heard he had also sent an image of himself wearing only underwear and later a fully naked photo.

Vincent Ward, the defendant’s solicitor, stated that O’Neill lost his job as a consequence of his actions and was currently unemployed.

The judge sentenced him to 12 months in prison suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work and 30 days of rehabilitation activity.

O’Neill was also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and was subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

The judge emphasized the danger of such behavior, noting that although no child was harmed, the risk was present because of O’Neill’s willingness to engage in such acts.