December 2016

Sex pest told to register as sex offender

A sex pest who bombarded a 13-year-old girl with Facebook messages as he sought to have sexual activity with her has received a suspended prison sentence.

Danny James Barry Harris was twice the age of the victim and made “vulgar, crude” suggestions to her, the Honorary Recorder of York Paul Batty QC told York Crown Court.

Earlier Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, prosecuting, said Harris knew she was underage, but sent her a picture of himself in his underwear and talked about wanting to have sex with her.

The pair met on one occasion, but nothing sexual happened between them, and the girl herself stopped the exchanges after two months because she knew he was an adult and didn’t want it to continue.

The transcript of the exchanges, which were started by Harris, filled 180 pages.

The judge told Harris, now 26: “You bombarded her with Facebook messages. In fact you were twice her age and it would appear you became utterly infatuated with her.”

Harris, of Kitchen Drive, Selby, pleaded guilty to meeting a child after sexual grooming shortly before he was due to stand trial.

He was given a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years on condition he did a four-month nightly curfew from 7pm to 7am and 60 days’ rehabilitative activities.

He was also put on the sex offenders’ register and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order curtailing his behaviour towards children, both for ten years.