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JOHN MARPLES OF CHESTERFIELD AVOIDS PRISON AFTER ONLINE GROOMING INCIDENT
In December 2014, John Trevor Marples, a 45-year-old resident of Duckmanton, Chesterfield, who now lives in Bolsover, was involved in a criminal case concerning online grooming. The incident stemmed from an undercover operation by the team known as 'OPIT.'Marples was convicted at Derby Crown Court after initially pleading guilty to grooming a girl under the age of 16 in a prior hearing. He received a three-year community order, was mandated to complete 150 hours of community service, and ordered to participate in a sex offenders' program. Additionally, he was placed on the sex offenders register for five years and banned for life from working with children. The court also imposed £60 in costs.
During the case, it was revealed that Marples admitted to engaging in chat conversations with someone he believed to be a 15-year-old girl in July 2013. He acknowledged asking her if she would like him as a boyfriend and if she was interested in losing her virginity. He also sent her images of his genital area. Marples arranged to meet the girl at Codnor Market Place in Derbyshire.
On the day of the meeting, Marples arrived in his work van but became nervous and fled the scene. He soon returned, urging the girl to come to his van, which prompted members of the undercover team to step in to ensure the girl's safety. Marples then fled again, never to return.
Judge Gosling addressed Marples in court, stating, "Mr (Undercover team) has not only helped save girls from harm, but he also helped you." The judge described Marples’s actions as "revolting." Pre-sentence reports indicated that Marples’s intent was only to kiss the girl on the lips; however, the judge suggested that Marples was expecting a genuine victim to appear, and the suggestions made in chat logs could have been acted upon.
Marples expressed remorse, acknowledging that he was grateful to have been caught by the investigation team, saying it allowed him to "nip it in the bud" and helped him access the necessary help to prevent re-offending.
An edited version of an image sent by Marples, which he believed was from a 14-year-old girl, was also presented during proceedings.
