SHROPSHIRE MAN AVOIDS JAIL AFTER ONLINE DECOY STING
A South Shropshire man named Mark Lewis from Clun was caught in a decoy online sting where he attempted to incite a child into sexual activity.
He was arrested in 2021 after traveling to meet an adult woman, believing she was a 13-year-old girl, following online conversations.
Lewis faced charges of two counts of attempting sexual activity with a child and attempted sexual communication with a child.
He pleaded guilty in May 2023.
His sentencing at Shrewsbury Crown Court resulted in a nine-month jail sentence, suspended for two years.
Judges noted Lewis's significant learning difficulties and the impact on his family, emphasizing that prison was not appropriate for him due to his mental health and circumstances.
The court highlighted that Lewis knowingly engaged in sexual discussions with what he believed was a 13-year-old girl, despite not meeting her face-to-face, and discussions included attempts to arrange a meeting out of sight.
The sentence was adjusted from an initial 18 months to nine months after taking into account his guilty plea, good character, and other factors.
Lewis was also ordered to undergo the Maps for Change program during 30 rehabilitation activity days and was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.
This is a probabilistic continent or country-group signal from public name datasets. It is not proof of nationality, ethnicity or personal background.
Likely region signal
UK
Country
from United States
- based on surname
51.8%
confidence
First-name region
UK
United Kingdom
37.4%
Surname region
UK
United States
51.8%
Court Outcome
Conviction and Sentencing Details
Sentenced
Detected legal outcome
was also ordered to undergo the Maps for Change program during 30 rehabilitation activity days and was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.
Suspended sentence
two years
His sentencing at Shrewsbury Crown Court resulted in a nine-month jail sentence, suspended for two years
Court order
Lewis was also ordered to undergo the Maps for Change program during 30 rehabilitation activity days and was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order
