MAN JAILED OVER SEXUAL CHATS WITH CHILD DECOY
A man has been sentenced to prison after engaging in online messages and sharing explicit images with a person he believed to be a 10-year-old girl.John Watton, aged 52, from Moorfields in Holway, Flintshire, appeared before Judge Gwyn Jones at Mold Crown Court on Wednesday, May 28.
He admitted to attempting to communicate sexually with a minor and to encouraging a girl under 13 to partake in sexual activities, with incidents occurring between March 16 and March 27, 2025.
The case involved an online decoy profile named "Poppy," run by the anti-paedophile group Stop UK.
Prosecutor Emmalyne Downing explained that Watton befriended “Poppy” on Facebook on March 23, 2025, and was informed early that the profile owner was 10 years old.
Despite recognising she was too young, Watton persisted in sending messages and making sexual remarks.
Ms Downing outlined how the conversation grew more explicit, with Watton discussing sexual acts, requesting nude photographs, and pushing for phone calls while the decoy claimed to be in the bath.
Later exchanges shifted to WhatsApp, where he continued to request intimate images, detailed sexual acts, and sent a nude image of himself.
The decoy also expressed feeling uncomfortable and revealed she had never shown her naked body to anyone before.
The anti-paedophile group Stop UK intervened on March 27, 2025, and police arrested Watton.
During his arrest, he said, On arrest, Watton said: "I don't know, it wasn't intentional.
It was a whim.
I can't really explain it." During police interview, he admitted having the conversations and accepted he had "overstepped the mark".
The court heard Watton initially denied the offences, claiming he believed he was speaking to a decoy, but later changed his pleas to guilty ahead of trial.
The judge said his risk to the public could not be safely managed outside prison and handed him a sentence of 16 months, to run concurrently.
Additionally, Watton received a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, along with sex offender notification requirements for the same duration.
He was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £187.
