PAEDOPHILE JAILED AGAIN FOR GROOMING BOY ON SNAPCHAT
A highly dangerous sex offender exploited Snapchat to manipulate and sexually abuse a young teenage boy.John Smith, who previously worked as a junior football coach, received a prison sentence in 2019 for sending explicit images of himself to underage boys via Snapchat.
He appeared again at Liverpool Crown Court after he used the same app to target and groom another young boy, ultimately leading to abuse.
After learning what had happened to her son, the boy's mother remarked, "I feel like I don't know my own son at all anymore." A judge in Liverpool described Smith's "unwanted and predatory instincts" as "dangerous" to young boys.
Prosecutor Peter Killen explained that Smith had initially contacted the boy through a different messaging platform before moving the conversation to Snapchat.
Once on Snapchat, they exchanged phone numbers and engaged in FaceTime calls.
Smith mistakenly believed the boy was around "17 or 18 years old," but once he was informed the boy was a minor, he continued to groom him.
Their conversations began casually, with both sharing personal information.
Smith then asked the boy to "meet up for a kiss," which they did near Smith's workplace with the boy's sister nearby.
During this encounter, Smith said, "Your sister has walked off now should we kiss?" but the boy, feeling embarrassed, did not respond.
The two shared a kiss.
Smith later sent a message thanking the boy for the kiss, saying: "thanks for the kiss." They arranged another meeting, which involved additional kissing and Smith touching the boy's genitals.
During this, Smith told the boy, "kiss me if you want me to stop." Their interaction was interrupted when the boy's sister called him, and he had to leave.
Smith also requested and received explicit images of the boy's genitals, and he sent a video of himself engaging in a sexual act.
The boy thought Smith was also reaching out to his friend and believed they were in a relationship.
Once the family found out, the boy informed Smith that they were aware of his actions, prompting Smith to block him.
The boy's mother described her son as having difficulty sleeping, being in poor health overall, and not acting like himself.
She expressed her concerns about their safety.
Smith was found guilty after a trial in March 2019 of engaging in sexual communication with three boys.
He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which he later violated.
Ultimately, he was sentenced to four years and six months in prison, with an additional three years on license.
Early release would only occur if a parole board determined he was no longer a threat.
The judge labeled Smith as a "dangerous" offender and criticized his lack of insight regarding the harm he caused.
