WIDNES VETERAN DODGES JAIL AFTER ONLINE ROLE PLAY WITH CHILD
A VETERAN who engaged in role play chats with minors online where he pretended to be a baby as well as nicknaming himself ‘Daddy’ has avoided jail.Prosecuting, Ms Campbell said that the offences took place between Aug 9, 2020, and February 2023.
Morgan, who served as a paramedic in the armed forces for six years before being medically discharged, was first caught by Cheshire Police when he attempted to distribute an indecent image of a child and they were able to trace the IP address back to his home.
Officers attended the address of the 54-year-old and recovered a laptop and phone which revealed a library of disturbing and sick images of infants.
Ms Campbell said: “In an interview the defendant said he engaged in role play with others.
“He pretends to be a baby.
He denies having any interest in babies but it is more teenage boys.” More of Morgan’s disgusting online encounters were detailed to Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday (February 28) including how he confessed to playing role play with a 15-year-old boy using the nickname ‘daddy’ and pretending to be the father and the boy being his son.
Files recovered from Morgan’s devices included indecent images of children, some involving babies and children as young as six.
The defendant faced sentencing, after pleading guilty to a list of charges including the making and possession of indecent images with some being category A images, the worst grading, all the way down to category C images.
These charges included the making of indecent still images, namely 13 category A, 10 category B and 21 category C, distributing one category C image, engaging in sexual communications with a child, intent to cause a child aged between 13 and 15 to look at an image of a sexual action, possession of 44 indecent images/videos of child and lastly possession of four extreme pornographic images.
Defence, Mr Smith said his client came from a ‘complex’ background and witnessed domestic violence in his childhood home.
“He spent six years in the Armed Forces and assisted as a paramedic.
He had a mental health deterioration.
Eventually he was medically discharged.
“He knows what he has done is wrong.
This is a man who is broken but remorseful,” Mr Smith added.
Concluding the case Honour judge Robert Trevor-Jones addressed the defendant before sentencing, saying: “You came before the courts for the first time and so you have now lost your previous good character.
“This is a very serious matter, and these are real victims involved.” He served the defendant a 12-month sentence suspended for 18-months.
Morgan is also required to carry out rehabilitation days and will be signed onto the sex offenders register for 10 years.
