PAEDO HUNTERS TRAP MAN WHO BEGGED 'BOY' FOR NAKED PHOTO
A man aged 54 was caught by paedophile hunters after he communicated online with a decoy child.John Buttery, using WhatsApp, initiated contact with what he thought was a 14-year-old boy, the court was told.
The conversation quickly escalated to sexual content, with Buttery requesting a nude photo from the 'boy.' This led to police involvement and his subsequent arrest.
During his appearance at Exeter Crown Court, Buttery admitted to attempting to communicate sexually with a minor.
The court chose not to sentence him to immediate prison, citing his potential for rehabilitation.
The offences took place during September and October 2022, after the decoy profile was shared across multiple platforms and contact was established.
The contact became sexual, with Buttery asking for images and sending an explicit photo of his own private parts, despite being informed that the person was only 14.
The crimes occurred in Exeter.
Buttery lives at Queens Walk, Lyme Regis, and has no prior convictions of note.
Judge David Evans commented: "You clearly thought this was a real 14-year-old boy.
The boy referred to his age within the first 10 messages and you were perfectly aware.
"That didn't stop you turning it sexual very rapidly.
You send the apparent boy a picture of your penis and requested such a picture from him." The judge added that probation assessed Buttery as a person likely to benefit from rehabilitation.
He sentenced him to eight months in jail, suspended for 18 months, with an obligation of 25 rehabilitation days.
