MAN ASKED FOR IMAGES FROM '13-YEAR-OLD' GIRL
Samuel Haynes, a resident of Mold Crescent in Banbury, was handed a sentence at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, April 10.The 28-year-old had previously admitted to three separate charges.
He confessed to sending sexual messages to someone he believed to be a minor under 16 years old in Banbury on January 5.
Additionally, Haynes pleaded guilty to two violations of a sexual harm prevention order initially put in place in April of the previous year, by using an online chat platform and contacting a person he believed to be under 16.
He also acknowledged that these offences broke the terms of a suspended sentence given in April last year.
Prosecutor Tom Blackburn informed the court that in January, Haynes registered on a social media application called SayHi.
The court was told he communicated with an account he thought belonged to a 13-year-old girl, which was actually operated as a decoy account by a social media group involved in paedophile hunter activities.
Mr Blackburn explained that the account explicitly identified the girl as being 13 years old, yet Haynes requested indecent images.
He was later confronted at his residence by the social media group, and police arrived to arrest him on January 9.
During police interviews, Haynes mostly responded with 'no comment,' but claimed, 'it wasn't me, I don't know how they linked it to me.' He later pleaded guilty at his initial court appearance.
Defence representative Gordana Austin argued that Haynes’s guilty plea demonstrated his acceptance of responsibility.
She noted that individuals often find it hard to discuss and admit to such matters.
Ms Austin added that Haynes had not fully explained his motives.
She mentioned he was currently in custody and faced personal hardships.
She stated he recognised he had lost years of hard work and was planning to relocate in hopes of finding employment to support himself.
Ms Austin emphasised his resilience in overcoming adversity.
Judge Maria Lamb commented that Haynes believed he was communicating with a 13-year-old girl and requested explicit images from her.
She pointed out that his address was identified, and he initially denied the charges he now admits.
The judge found no mitigating circumstances for the offences themselves and stated that family trauma does not justify his actions.
Haynes was sentenced to 23 months in prison, and an order was made for his phone to be confiscated.
