MAN CHATTED WITH POLICE DECOYS POSING AS UNDERAGE GIRLS ONLINE
John Paul Williamson, aged 28, of Pine Avenue, Durham, was convicted for a series of offences related to online sexual communication with minors.The court heard that Williamson engaged in conversations with what he believed to be underage girls, including a 12-year-old girl on a chat app in late March 2022, under the false profile name 'Holly'.
He introduced himself as a 26-year-old man and was informed from the outset that Holly was only 12.
The prosecution stated that Williamson initially asked her for images of herself, then moved on to sexual topics, sending explicit images of himself and requesting more.
Despite Holly's innocent responses, Williamson persisted in requesting images and continued with similar conducts involving other girls aged around 13.
When re-arrested in January 2023, he denied using chat apps and falsely blamed a non-existent cousin for these interactions.
Police found indecent images on his devices, including 71 of the most serious category, depicting children as young as five and scenes of extreme pornography such as bestiality.
Williamson admitted to four counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, three counts of possessing indecent images of children, and two counts of possessing extreme pornography.
He also requested that 20 further charges be taken into consideration.
The judge sentenced Williamson to three years in prison, with up to half spent in custody, and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, along with registration as a sex offender indefinitely.
All devices seized were ordered to be forfeited and destroyed.
The court noted that Williamson's actions demonstrated a clear sexual interest in children and that he continued offending even after initial arrests and conversations about his behaviour.
The judge emphasized the severity of his persistent and serious offences, although no real child was harmed in this case.
