2016: MAN JAILED FOR SENDING HUNDREDS OF INAPPROPRIATE FACEBOOK MESSAGES TO SCHOOLBOY
A man named Dominic Rowley has been sentenced to prison after attempting to persuade a 13-year-old boy to engage in sexual activities through Facebook.Over a span of three days in September 2014, Rowley sent the victim more than 480 inappropriate messages, which included terms of endearment like calling him a 'cutie,' along with love heart emojis and kisses.
Prosecutor Sarah Griffin explained that Rowley asked the boy to meet up, inquired whether he would receive a kiss and massages, and then expressed love for him, asking if he wanted to be his boyfriend.
She highlighted that Rowley repeatedly told the boy to delete their chat history and messages.
After the victim’s mother discovered the messages, Rowley was arrested on September 15 and initially denied knowing about them, having deleted his Facebook account.
He later admitted to inciting a child to engage in sexual activity in November 2015.
In court, the victim’s mother expressed feelings of failure as a parent, saying she felt she had "failed as a parent" and that her family had endured significant stress and emotional pain due to the incident.
Defender Antony Longworth described the messages as inappropriate but argued that Rowley was not attempting to coerce or persuade the boy, claiming that he merely made suggestions that were not compelled when refused.
He also noted that Rowley’s guilty plea was made reluctantly to avoid further distress for the family.
Judge Michael Murray sentenced Rowley to nine months in prison, emphasizing the age difference and warning that he should have known better given the victim’s age of 13.
Additionally, Rowley was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register and subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which prohibits him from deleting internet browsing history and requires him to surrender his computer for police inspection when requested.
