COLIN CHRISTENSEN OF NORTH SHIELDS AVOIDS PRISON AFTER ATTEMPTED SEXUAL COMMUNICATION CASE IN TYNEMOUTH
Colin Christensen, a resident of North Shields who was employed as a chef in Tynemouth, has avoided prison time after admitting to two charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a minor.Christensen, a grandfather living with his mother, approached what he believed were two girls aged 14 on Facebook, sending inappropriate messages and a photograph of his genitals.
The court was told that these profiles were operated by a vigilante group known as the Child Online Safety Team.
Christensen first made contact with a profile of a girl in January this year.
Despite being told she was only 14, he falsely claimed to be 36 and asked for a photo of her in her school uniform, which she refused.
Prosecutor Kate Barnes outlined during the hearing at Newcastle Crown Court: "He asked what she wore to bed and if she thought about sex.
She said no, she was too young.
The conversation continued, and he went on to ask for pictures and inquired about her underwear." Christensen also sent a lewd image of his own genitals and later asked whether she was offended or aroused by it.
Additionally, he requested that she take a camera into the shower with her and made references to her private parts.
Around the same period, Christensen contacted another Facebook profile claiming to be a 14-year-old girl.
This profile was also managed by the vigilante group.
He repeated his requests for a school uniform photo and posed sexual questions.
The court heard Christensen told her that he couldn’t have sex with her unless she agreed, warning that their first encounter might be painful.
Christensen, of Murton Lane, North Shields, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to communicate sexually with a child.
Judge Robert Adams sentenced him to nine months in prison suspended for two years, with mandatory sex offender registration and a ten-year sexual harm prevention order.
The court also noted that Christensen lost his job of 36 years as a chef at a pub in Tynemouth and expressed concerns about his future employment prospects due to his conviction.
His defense lawyer, Mark Harrison, stated that Christensen displayed an 'appropriate level of shame' and had had difficult conversations with his mother, who depends on him for daily care.
Harrison emphasized that Christensen’s primary wish was to continue caring for her and expressed hope to be allowed to do so.
