STEVEN WHILEY

FACEBOOK SEX CHATS WITH 'GIRLS' - POLICE OFFERED 'CAUTION'

A sex offender chef named Steven Whiley who engaged in online sex chats with decoy schoolgirls would have been given a police caution if prosecutors had not intervened.

The case involved Whiley communicating with decoys pretending to be 14-year-old girls via Facebook, during which he sent obscene images of himself and performed sexual acts on video.

One of the decoys told Whiley nine times she was 14, yet he continued to engage.

He was arrested on January 17, 2018, and initially the police considered offering him a caution, which was ultimately overruled by the Crown Prosecution Service, leading to court proceedings.

The offences, committed between April 3, 2017, and December 31, 2017, were categorized as 'attempts' because the decoys were not actual children but decoys.

Whiley admitted to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

In court, he was found guilty, and Judge Martin Jackson sentenced him to a three-year community order, a £750 fine, and ordered him to pay costs of £340.

Additionally, he received a five-year sexual harm prevention order restricting internet use and must comply with notification requirements for five years.

It was noted that Whiley had no prior convictions or cautions, and the case was delayed over four years due to investigation issues.