YORK MAN SENTENCED FOR ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL COMMUNICATION
A 66-year-old man named Robert Shread from Rawcliffe, York, has been sentenced after sending sexual online messages to a person he believed was a 12-year-old girl.Shread utilized chat websites and applications to communicate with the contact, an undercover investigator, where he discussed sexual acts and requested indecent photographs.
At York Crown Court, he received a 10-month jail sentence, which was suspended for one year, after admitting one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
Shread was arrested in January 2024, and he admitted to police that his actions were "for his own sexual gratification." He described his communication as "disgusting" and "not appropriate for someone of that age." Detective Constable Melanie Gladwell commented that Shread demonstrated "a sexual interest in communicating with a 12-year-old girl and used repulsive language to do so," emphasizing the serious online risks to children and stating that police will continue to pursue such offenders and bring them before courts.
Shread previously pleaded guilty at York Magistrates' Court in April, and as part of his sentence, he was ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid community work and participate in rehabilitation programs.
