Amble paedophile jailed after getting girl, 11, to send naked images of herself
Tom Spears also got the youngster to perform a sex act on herself and sent a photo of his genitals during the vile conversations on Snapchat
by Sara Nichol · ChronicleLiveA Northumberland paedophile has been jailed after he exchanged sexual messages with a schoolgirl and got her to send him naked images of herself.
Tom Spears also got the 11-year-old to perform a sex act on herself and sent her at least one photo of his genitals during the disgusting conversations, which happened over a four-month period on Snapchat. The pervert's vile behaviour only came to light when the victim's mother noticed a change in her daughter's behaviour and found the messages when she searched her phone, a court was told.
The police were contacted and Spears was arrested. The 24-year-old, of East View, in North Broomhill, near Amble, Northumberland, has now been locked up for three years after he pleaded guilty to inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and engaging in sexual communication with a child.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Spears started chatting with the victim in May 2020 and she told him she was 13, despite actually being only 11. Jemima Stephenson-Finn, prosecuting, said: "The defendant said he was 16 when he was, in fact, 20 at the time.
"He also claimed he was overseas in America. The defendant solicited pictures of [the victim] both clothed and unclothed and he sent her at least one picture of his genitals." Ms Stephenson-Finn said that Spears sent further sexual communications and got the youngster to perform a sex act.
The court heard that Spear's vile behaviour had severely affected the victim, who'd been left "broken" and had self-harmed since the messages were uncovered. In a statement, her mother said: "Since I found out [her daughter] was a victim of this offence, things have taken a downward spiral and nothing has been the same with her."
The mum said Spear's actions had had a huge impact on the girl, who now suffered from anxiety and depression and struggled at school.
Laura Miller, defending, said Spears was young himself at the time, had no previous convictions and was "ashamed and embarrassed" of his actions. She added: "A lack of maturity with this defendant underlined his behaviour."
Ms Miller said Spears was now in a stable relationship and had been employed in the hospitality sector but left his job when he pleaded guilty to the offences. Jailing him, Judge Sarah Mallett said: "You asked her for pictures of herself, clothed and unclothed, and you must have seen her during the course of those communications and realised she was young."
Spears was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely and must sign the sex offenders register for the same period.
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