MALCOLM WOOLGAR

HULL MAN SENTENCED FOR ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

A Hull man named Malcolm Woolgar, aged 46, engaged in online communication with an undercover police decoy posing as a 12-year-old girl.

Woolgar, who used the online alias "Dirty Den 78," sent explicit images, including photographs of his private parts and a pornographic image depicting sexual activity between a man and a woman.

He believed he was communicating with a minor and described the interaction as "fantasy role play." This communication was initiated on May 15 last year, and Woolgar asked the decoy about her age, to which she responded, "I'm 12 hbu (how about you?)." Prosecutor Michael Masson from Hull Crown Court stated that Woolgar continued to describe sexual acts and sent images despite the decoy’s age being known.

Humberside Police arrested Woolgar on June 25 last year at his home, and devices were seized for forensic examination.

While no illegal communication was found on the devices, the sexual images had been sent.

Woolgar pleaded guilty and expressed remorse, with his defense attributing his offending to emotional struggles following the death of his father and the end of a nine-year relationship.

Woolgar has a history of good character and had recently reduced his alcohol intake, which he admitted was a coping mechanism.

The court sentenced him to a 10-month prison term suspended for 18 months, ordered him to complete 30 days of rehabilitation activities, and imposed a sexual harm prevention order for ten years along with a notification requirement to inform police of his address.

The judge emphasized that the police’s operation was focused on preventing adults from targeting children.