Sexual Communications with Children - Avoids Prison

Case study summary

Our client accepted that he had attempted to contact and meet up with children for the purposes of sexual activity. Given the severity of these offences, he was at risk of a prison sentence. We identified his learning difficulties which meant that he avoided this outcome.

Case study

Our client was a 33-year-old warehouse worker who was charged with attempting to communicate with a child for sexual satisfaction. He pleaded guilty and was granted bail. Shortly after this, he was arrested again for the same offence as well as the offence of arranging to meet a child for the purposes of sexual activity. Our client pleaded guilty to all charges but on this occasion, he was refused bail and sent to prison.

The circumstances of the offences were that our client had begun communicating with undercover police officers who were pretending to be children under the age of 16 on a social media platform call KIK. He had then arranged to take one of the children to a hotel room.

Our client contacted us from prison after we had been recommended to him by his family members. He admitted the offences and explained that his main concern was being released from prison to return to caring and providing for his mother who was blind.

Upon initial contact our client and conversations with his mother, it was clear that he had some form of learning disability which he had suffered with since he was a child, although he had not yet been formally diagnosed. We instructed an expert psychologist to assess our client who concluded that he did have learning difficulties. His difficulties had been worsened by the recent passing of his father. This meant that he was not able to comprehend or consider the consequences of his actions as well as someone who did not have these difficulties.

We provided this information to the court who agreed that with proper treatment, guidance and counselling our client could be introduced back into society. As a result of the medical evidence and our barrister's compelling arguments, he received a suspended sentence. Our client and his family were very relieved that he was able to return home in time for Christmas.