MARTIN EDWARD MANNS SENTENCED IN EASTLEIGH FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES
Martin Edward Manns, aged 59 and residing on Twyford Road in Eastleigh, sent explicit photos of himself to a girl during her school break.Unknown to him, he was communicating with a decoy profile created by a group of paedophile hunters.
At the time, Manns was already under investigation for a separate child sex offence.
Prosecution lawyer John Upton explained that earlier this year, Manns created an online profile under the name 'Up for it'.
He used this profile to send messages to a 13-year-old girl named Mabel H on the website Chatiw.
However, Manns was communicating with a fake profile controlled by a police officer.
He had even arranged to meet the supposed teenager at the Lidl store located in Coles Close, Eastleigh.
Officers observed Manns in the store's car park using his phone before following him back to his house.
Manns appeared before Southampton Crown Court, where he was charged with intentionally attempting to communicate with a child under 16 for sexual gratification and attempting to meet a girl under 16 with the intent of engaging in sexual activity.
He pleaded guilty to these offences, which took place between September last year and June of this year.
In his defense, Gaylene Coles stated that her client was 'extremely remorseful and ashamed for his behaviour.' She added that Manns found it 'very difficult to verbalize his thoughts and actions or understand how these matters occurred.' She also mentioned that his conduct was impacted by the recent deaths of his mother and mother-in-law, as well as the hardships faced by his daughter during childbirth.
Judge Christopher Parker QC remarked that Manns posed a significant risk of serious harm to young girls and represented a danger to the public.
As a result, Manns was sentenced to five years in prison.
Upon release, he will be under a two-year license and required to register as a sex offender indefinitely.
He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order until further notice.
