PERVERT, 43, ATTRACTED TO 'GIRL', 13, KEEPS JOB AND HOME
Pervert Anthony Rowley sent a picture of his private area to a 13-year-old girl.But the 43-year-old was busted after it emerged that the online profile had been created by a paedophile hunter group.
Now Rowley has dodged jail at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.
He is now on the Sex Offenders' Register for the next decade and subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Prosecutor Jill Newton said: "He sent her a picture of himself topless.
He said he loved her.
He asked for a photograph of her bra and if she did he would send a naked picture of himself.
He described her as sexy and sent a picture of his penis.
He later asked for it to be deleted.
He asked for a photo of her body and a rude picture." Police attended the defendant's home on April 13.
Miss Newton added: "He had already been detained by an online child protection team, Underworld.
The officer received some papers of the evidence at the time and seized various electrical items and arrested him." Rowley, of Earls Drive, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
Mitigating, Carl Buckley said alcohol is a very real issue for Rowley but if he went to prison he would not have the opportunity to access or complete any courses.
He said Rowley has no relevant previous convictions.
Mr Buckley added: "In my submission, any sentence imposed could be appropriately suspended on this occasion.
He does not shy away from accepting that he committed the offences.
But there is work to be done in terms of why these offences were committed.
He remains in full-time employment.
He has a stable address.
Aside from this offending his life generally is really stable.
If he is sent to prison he will lose his employment and his address." Judge Graeme Smith sentenced Rowley to 11 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with a 60-day programme requirement and 90 hours unpaid work.
He must pay £150 costs.
Judge Smith said: "It is an attempt because the child was a decoy, an adult who has set themselves up to be available to ensnare people like you who start sexualised conversations.
It is clear you initiated the sexualisation of the conversation.
It descended to the extent you sent a picture of your penis.
You made sexual comments.
You requested several photos of her.
Ultimately, you were arrested.
There was no harm as there was no actual child.
As far as you were concerned you were dealing with an actual child.
We see many of these cases in the court.
A frequent background to them is stress, loneliness, addiction to alcohol, to the extent you are unable to recall what you actually did on this occasion.
You did request that she delete the photos.
You were aware that what you were doing was wrong at the time.
You have shown genuine remorse.
It can be suspended to enable probation to work with you to assist you in ensuring you do not commit any offences, particularly of this type, in the future." [Get all the latest news from court here](https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/?view=Solus&mailingListId=676a99fe-424e-401c-9ef2-64b7e1ef70e3&utm_source=solusarticle)
