DAVID DROWLEY FROM SLEAFORD SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES AND ONLINE PREDATION

A 69-year-old resident of Pine Close in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, named David Drowley, has been found guilty of engaging in inappropriate and illegal online communications with an adult posing as a minor. The incident unfolded when Drowley created a fake Facebook profile, deliberately misrepresenting his age to appear as a young girl. During the course of conversations, he discussed explicit material, including pornography, and explicitly requested images from the decoy. Furthermore, he encouraged the individual, who was pretending to be a teenager, to watch sexual videos and to touch herself externally, actions that are deeply concerning and illegal.

His actions came to light when he sent messages to an adult woman who was acting as a decoy for an online paedophile hunting group. This group aims to catch individuals attempting to engage in illegal sexual activities with minors. During the investigation, authorities discovered that Drowley’s devices contained a total of ten indecent images of children. Among these, four were classified as Category A, indicating the most serious level of child exploitation material, while the remaining six were categorized as Category B.

In court, Drowley admitted to multiple charges, including attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to facilitate a child sex offence, and possessing indecent images of children. His admission also covered other related charges, highlighting the severity of his conduct. Despite the gravity of his actions, Drowley, who had no prior criminal record, was sentenced to two years in prison. However, the sentence was suspended for two years, meaning he will not serve time unless he commits another offence within that period.

As part of his sentencing, Drowley was ordered to complete 30 days of rehabilitation activities aimed at addressing his behaviour. He was also required to pay court costs and is mandated to register as a sex offender for the next ten years. Additionally, he is subject to a sexual harm prevention order, which imposes restrictions on his activities and movements. The court issued a stern warning that any breach of these conditions could result in his immediate re-imprisonment, underscoring the seriousness with which such offences are treated in the UK legal system.