PLYMOUTH PENSIONER JAILED FOR GROOMING TEEN
A 75-year-old man named Geoffrey Davies, residing on Salisbury Road in St Judes, was ordered to participate in a behavioral course after admitting to engaging in sexual communication with a young girl.Davies appeared at Plymouth Crown Court where he pleaded guilty in July last year to three charges: two counts of attempting to sexually communicate with a girl under 16 and one count of attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming attempts.
The court learned that between December 2 and December 16, 2021, Davies initially contacted a profile on a chat website called UK Social, using the name 'Charlotte,' who claimed to be 13 but was actually an adult male.
He then moved the conversation to WhatsApp, expressing his desire to see her in a bath and asking if she would engage in sexual activity.
He also discussed meeting her in Exeter to go shopping for short skirts.
Additionally, Davies contacted another profile named 'Phoebe,' claiming to be 14, which was also an adult male in reality.
He arranged to meet her at Freedom Fields Park in Plymouth, where he planned to cook lunch, give her cider, and let her 'sleep over' at his house.
He asked if he could give her a bath, as well as 'a kiss and a cuddle.' Throughout the conversations, Davies talked about missing sex but indicated he would 'respect her decision' not to proceed.
On December 15, 2021, Davies was arrested at Freedom Fields by police, who found three phones on him containing chats with the two individuals, leading to the charges.
His advocate, Chris Cuddihee, stated that Davies was remorseful and had arranged to be sent to jail.
It was highlighted that Davies was a former serviceman living on a pension and willing to engage with probation to address his offending profile.
The judge, Matthew Turner, acknowledged Davies' lack of previous convictions but noted a relevant caution in 2018 for attempting to engage sexually with a child who was actually a decoy.
The judge considered Davies' remorse and the fact that there had been no further offences, seeing a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.
He was sentenced to 14 months in jail for the grooming offence and six months for each of the attempted communication charges, to run concurrently, but the sentence was suspended for 18 months.
Davies was also ordered to complete up to 26 sessions of a sex offender program and 30 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.
He was required to pay £150 in court costs, to be deducted from his pension, and his three phones were to be destroyed.
Furthermore, Davies will be on the Sex Offender Register for 10 years and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same duration.
