March 2014

Man posed as ‘Sarah’ in bid to have sex with boy, 14 – walks free from court

A PENPARCAU man pretended to be “Sarah from Aberaeron” in the hope of having sex with a teenage boy, a judge heard last week.

Lee Gallagher, 26, of 82 Heol Tyny-fron, admitted inciting a 14-year-old boy to engage in sexual activity.

Robin Rouch, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court how Gallagher had exchanged messages with the boy on Facebook pages.

In September, 2012, Gallagher told the boy that a “Sarah from Aberaeron” was interested in talking to him and provided a mobile telephone number.

The boy forwarded his own mobile number and “it escalated from there”.

Mr Rouch said the main offending took place on 30 September when Gallagher sent messages saying that “Sarah” would like to perform a sex act on him. More text messages followed suggesting a meeting later that day, but the boy became suspicious.

The following day the boy’s mother confiscated her son’s mobile because he had been misbehaving and received a message from Gallagher, who was still pretending to be Sarah.

She then read the series of messages from the day before. A friend entered the telephone number on the internet and traced it to Gallagher.

After his arrest he told police that others had had access to his telephone and that he was not responsible for the messages.

But after further investigation he confessed.

Mr Rouch said the 14-year-old now felt “stupid, embarrassed and humiliated”.“

He is now more aware of the dangers of social networking sites,” added Mr Rouch.

Carina Hughes, representing Gallagher, said he and his family lived in a small community and had been subjected to abuse once news of his arrest had circulated.

“He was under the influence of something at the time, either alcohol or drugs,” she added.Miss Hughes said no photographs had been exchanged and although Gallagher accepted he had been sex-ually motivated, no meetings had taken place.

Judge Michael Burr said Gallagher needed guidance and made a series of rulings.

He was made the subject of a three-year community order during which he must undertake 250 hours of whatever courses the probation service decided would help to stop him from reoffending.

Gallagher, unemployed and with a record of 27 previous offences, was also banned from contacting the boy or his mother and served with a Sex Offences Prevention Order banning him from contact with children.

He was also ordered to register with the police as a sex offender.

Judge Burr warned Gallagher it was a “tough” order and that if he failed to comply with any of the re-quirements he would go to prison.