January 2016

Pervert who had Facebook sex chat with girl aged 13 sent her a photo of his penis

A pervert who sent a 13-year-old girl an intimate photo of himself has been handed a suspended jail term.

Timothy Hawkins’ chats with the youngster on social networking site Facebook became increasingly sexualised, Bristol Crown Court heard.

After asking her for a photo of her chest, which she declined to give, he sent her a photo of his private parts.

But the child’s mother looked at her mobile phone and discovered the dialogue, and Hawkins was traced.

Hawkins, 38, of Windrush Green, Keynsham, admitted attempting to cause a child aged between 13 to 15 to look at an image of sexual activity.

The recorder Mr Paul Dunkels QC handed him a 15 weeks prison sentence, suspended for two years.

He told Hawkins: “I accept you had no intention of meeting the girl but you embarked upon this course of conduct because of your own isolation and loneliness.

“The matter did not go further than the electronic sexual talk and sending of the image which led to you committing this offence.

“It is deeply unpleasant and difficult to assess the full impact.

“It will probably take her some time to recover her stability, knowing how she was led along by you over the internet.”

Hawkins was told to register as a sex offender for seven years and ordered to have two years’ supervision.

He was given a sexual harm prevention order, banning him from unchecked use of the internet or contacting females aged below 18 via the web.

He was told to pay an £80 victim surcharge.

Robin Shellard, prosecuting, said in November 2014 Hawkins contacted the complainant via Facebook after he had been electronically “poked” by her to contact her.

Mr Shellard said: “He did contact her.

“She said she was 13. He said he was 37, which he was at the time.

“He looked at her profile photo, said she was ‘well developed’ and she said he was a ‘perv and a creep’ and threatened to block him.

“He asked not to be blocked and the conversation continued.”

The court heard the pair exchanged some 500 messages over three days, which were short but increasingly sexualised.

The conversation included what would happen if she was over-age, such as would he have sex with her, would he do various things to her and would he make her pregnant?

Eventually Hawkins asked the child if she would like to see his manhood and she said she didn’t mind as she would probably delete the conversation.

She declined to send a photo of her chest.

When the girl’s mum cottoned on to the exchange Hawkins was traced and arrested.

Hawkins told police he had no intention of meeting the girl but admitted sending her the intimate photo, out of sexual frustration and loneliness.

He said he had no girlfriend or friends beyond his mother and he felt isolated.

Leanne Woodman, defending, said: “He thoroughly accepts what he did was wrong and it shouldn’t have happened.”