MAN TEMPTED GIRLS TO PERFORM SEX ACTS ON THE INTERNET WHILE HIS PARTNER WAS ASLEEP, COURT HEARS
A man was told he could have caused lasting harm by tempting girls to perform sex acts on the internet - which he shared with other viewers.Sitting at Nottingham Crown Court, Judge Stuart Rafferty QC said it was important to consider the psychological damage to the victims of James Lewis, 25.
"The effects must have been far-reaching and the 64,000 dollar question is what justification did he have?
The answer is he had none at all," said the judge.
And the judge said he found it hard to understand why "children are given electronic devices by their parents and are left unsupervised." He imposed a three-year community order on Lewis of Keats Avenue, Worksop who will have to attend a programme for sex offenders.
Lewis admitted inciting a child to engage in sexual activity; causing a child to watch a sex act; taking indecent photographs of children.
Jon Fountain, prosecuting, said that information was received in April 2017 that social media had been used to download an obscene video of a child.
Two laptops were seized by police officers.
"In interview, the defendant was candid in his admissions," said Mr Fountain.
Lewis looked on the internet for girls aged between 13 and 17.
Mr Fountain went on: "He was masquerading as a 17-year-old boy to encourage these girls.
He asked whether they wanted fun." Lewis made contact with the girls while his partner was asleep.
The number of victims was "entirely unclear," added Mr Fountain.
Benjamin Hargreaves, mitigating, described Lewis as "a broken man" and said that he appeared to have become "addicted." He told the judge: "Certain people can get worse and worse as they seek darker and darker images to satisfy something."
