SEX OFFENDER CAUGHT AFTER SENDING EXPLICIT MESSAGES TO ‘CHILDREN’
A man who mistakenly believed he was contacting underage girls and sent explicit messages to three individuals has received a prison sentence.Phillip Smith, 52 years old, initiated contact through Facebook with three individuals claiming to be girls and asked for explicit images.
However, the individuals he messaged were part of an online child safety organization and revealed their true identities when confronted.
The group, which later provided evidence to law enforcement, identified themselves as children aged 13 and 14.
They approached Smith in Beeston, asking him why he had been sending sexualized messages to minors.
It was revealed during his trial at Nottingham Crown Court that Smith was already under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order from previous offenses.
On January 7, he pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with minors and breaching the existing order.
As a result, Smith was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for his actions.
