TONY SMALL FROM EASINGTON VILLAGE SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES INVOLVING DECOY IN DURHAM

In June 2022, a disturbing case unfolded involving Tony Small, a resident of Easington Village, who was convicted of engaging in inappropriate and illegal online communications with what he believed was an 11-year-old girl. The incident highlights the dangers of online grooming and the vigilance required to protect vulnerable children from predators.

Small, aged 40, found himself in serious legal trouble after he believed he was exchanging sexually explicit messages and images with a young girl on a social media platform. Unbeknownst to him, the individual he was communicating with was not a child but a decoy created by a group of paedophile hunters known as Fighting for Innocents. This setup was designed to catch individuals attempting to exploit minors online.

At the time of the offences, Small was already under a sexual harm prevention order, a legal restriction imposed following his previous conviction for sexual offences in Portsmouth in 2018. Despite this, he continued to engage in illicit online activity, which led to his arrest and subsequent court proceedings.

On a Wednesday, Small appeared before Durham Crown Court to face sentencing for two serious charges: attempting to incite a female child to engage in sexual activity and breaching the existing sexual harm prevention order. Both offences were committed over a span of four days, from March 24 to March 27. Small had previously pleaded guilty to these charges during a hearing prior to the sentencing.

Prosecutor Robin Patton outlined the details of the case, explaining that Small initiated contact with what he believed was an 11-year-old girl on the social media app Wink. However, the individual he was communicating with was an adult acting as a decoy, part of an operation to catch online predators. Mr. Patton described Small’s messages as “highly sexualised” and grooming in nature, with him asking the decoy about her clothing and what she was wearing.

According to the prosecutor, Small went as far as to tell the decoy that she looked “very sexy” and sent explicit images of himself without a shirt, along with a video. He also expressed intentions to teach the girl about sex and described sexual acts he wished to perform. The evidence showed that Small actively engaged in these conversations over several days, demonstrating a pattern of grooming behavior.

The case took a further turn when Small attended a meeting in Peterlee, believing he would meet an adult woman for sex. Instead, law enforcement was waiting, and he was arrested on March 28. His arrest marked the culmination of the police’s efforts to apprehend him after the online interactions.

During sentencing, Judge James Adkin, the Recorder of Durham, emphasized the seriousness of Small’s actions. He noted that Small had been involved in sending sexual messages to the decoy over a period of three days, highlighting the premeditated and persistent nature of his conduct. As a result, Small was sentenced to three years in prison. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, and his existing sexual harm prevention order remains in effect to restrict his future activities and protect the community from potential harm.