34-YEAR-OLD MAN SENT EXPLICIT VIDEO TO 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL, COURT HEARS
A man sent a video of his penis to a 16-year-old girl over Snapchat which left her feeling "frightened" and led to self harm.The victim said she began using cannabis in order to forget the images she'd seen.
Thomas Treharne, 34, met his victim and they struck up a friendship, which led to them adding each other on social media.
He sent her a friend request on Facebook, which she accepted, before they began speaking on Snapchat.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on Friday heard the messages were "innocent" to begin with but the defendant then began to send inappropriate messages.
He asked the victim to "bend over" in front of him and to "get her breasts out".
Treharne then sent a photo of himself performing a sex act over his clothing and then sent a video of himself exposing his penis.
In a victim personal statement read to the court, the victim said: "I suffer with stress and anxiety...
He left me feeling frightened...
I think of him and it upsets me.
If I hear his name, I tense up and fear he will come for me or stalk me." "I'm unable to sleep.
I wake up and stay up late.
Thoughts of the defendant impact my mental health and I have self harmed on a few occasions." "I feel like I have changed.
On the day I made the report to the police I consumed cannabis as I wanted to forget, to cocoon up and try my best to forget what happened." Treharne, of Commercial Road, Maesteg, Bridgend, later pleaded guilty to sending a photograph or film of genitals to cause alarm, distress or humiliation.
The court heard he was of previous good character.
In mitigation, the court heard Treharne had poor mental health, a lack of social skills and had struggled in controlling his weight.
He had "been plagued by isolation and loneliness" since he was a teenager and suffered severe bullying, which led to him experiencing anxiety and depression.
The defendant witnessed the death of his mother from a heart attack in 2023.
He also has a gambling addiction which led to him racking up debts which he is still paying off.
Treharne was sentenced to 18 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.
The defendant was ordered to carry out a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement, to pay compensation of £250, and made subject to sex offender notification requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for seven years.
