MARK SMITH

NOTTINGHAM MAN NARROWLY AVOIDS CUSTODY AFTER CHILD EXPLOITATION CHARGES

A Nottinghamshire man, Mark Smith, aged 53, was brought before Nottingham Crown Court for engaging in illicit online activity with a girl he believed to be 13 years old, but who was actually an undercover police officer.

Smith offered to pay the girl money via PayPal in exchange for sexually explicit photos, promising to send money in return for intimate images.

Over a four-day period in early May 2023, he used two chat forums to communicate with her, quickly recognizing her age and still continuing with the inappropriate exchanges.

The prosecution revealed that Smith sent her explicit videos of himself pleasuring himself, asked for photos of her, and suggested paying her for a picture of her breasts.

When arrested on July 24, 2023, police found on his phone 270 extremely serious category A images and videos of child abuse, along with evidence he paid $20 to a seller for a category A image.

Smith admitted to police that he 'got a thrill' from sharing intimate images online and pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause child exploitation, and possessing indecent images.

The court sentenced him to two years in jail, suspended for two years, and ordered him to attend a 31-day sex offender treatment program, 10 rehabilitation sessions, and placed him on the sex offender register for ten years, along with a ten-year sexual harm prevention order.

His solicitor noted he has no previous convictions and acknowledged his early guilty plea, referencing his employment as a vehicle mechanic and MOT checker.

The judge warned him to refrain from any similar actions again.