March 2015

Facebook child groomer tried to get 14-year-old to send him explicit pictures

A married man from Cambridgeshire who tried to get a schoolgirl to send him sexually explicit pictures of herself on Facebook has been handed a suspended sentence. 

Jason Storm told the 14-year-old he wanted to marry her and have her baby and described in lurid detail the sex acts he would perform on her.

The 24-year-old, who spent several months pursuing the girl on Facebook, was also found with 12 indecent images, and an internet history including incest websites, on his phone and laptop.

Storm, whose pregnant wife was at Cambridge Crown Court to support him, was given an 18-month prison sentence, but it was suspended for two years so he could go on a sex offenders’ treatment programme.

Marti Blair, prosecuting, said police recovered 66 pages of Facebook communication between the defendant and the victim, who was in foster care, from between March and July 2013.

The prosecutor said Storm, who has 18 previous convictions for 27 offences, asked her questions about her virginity, told her in graphic terms the sex acts they should perform together and asked her to take explicit pictures of herself and send them to him. He also repeatedly expressed his desire to meet up with her and invited her over when his wife was out.

Ms Blair said: “She said [to police] she didn’t think he was serious at first and she thought it was a joke. She explained how she got more frightened as it persisted.

“He told her he wished she was his wife and that he wanted to marry her and have a baby with her.”

Storm, of Ailwine Road, Upwood, admitted causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, which relates to him trying to get the girl to send him explicit pictures, and making indecent images of a child, which were not of his victim but pictures accessed on the internet.

He broke down in tears as he told the judge: “I really understand the seriousness of the offences that I have committed and I’m extremely sickened and disgusted by what I have done. I’m just looking for one last chance to get the help that I need so I can be a law-abiding member of society.”

Kevin Barry, mitigating, said his client’s guilt plea is a “reflection of the fact he is genuinely remorseful for committing these offences and wants to help reduce the possiblity of him commiting any similar offences in the future”.

He said Storm, who has mental health issues and is taking anti-psychotic drugs, had been in care as a child and was himself subjected to abuse.

Judge Mark Lucraft QC, sentencing, agreed with Mr Barry that the public interest would be best served by Storm being treated rather than immediately jailed.

He told Storm, who had his hands clasped in praying position during sentencing: “You are not in a position to offer any explanation for what you did, but you make clear through your counsel that you are sickened and disgusted by your actions, and you echoed that to me today.”

As well as the suspended sentence, Judge Lucraft ordered him to attend the Thames Valley sex offender programme and made him subject to a sexual offences prevention and supervision orders.