MASHAM FARMER JAILED FOR ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL OFFENCES
The leading judge in York issued a stark warning about online sex offenders, stating they are just a few keystrokes away from incarceration, after sentencing a farmer for his conduct on social media platforms.Keith James Metcalfe, aged 62, engaged in sexual conversations with three individuals he believed were underage girls.
He attempted to persuade one of them to perform sexual acts and sent her an explicit image of his genitalia, as detailed by prosecutor Brooke Morrison.
However, the three Facebook profiles he contacted were not genuine teenage girls but decoy accounts operated by an online paedophile hunting group.
Members of this group intercepted him at his workplace and provided the authorities with evidence of the chats.
Defense lawyer Neal Kutte explained that Metcalfe was heavily intoxicated during the incidents and that he had no previous record of sexual offences.
Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, emphasized the risks involved, warning that online predators are only a few taps away from prison, highlighting the potential harm caused when individuals exploit young girls’ naivety through digital means.
Metcalfe, a resident of Westholme Road, Masham, north of Ripon, admitted to charges including attempted sexual communication with a minor, inciting a child into sexual activity, and sending a sexually explicit image.
He received a three-year prison sentence at York Crown Court, was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, and was subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order.
