March 2017

Jail for Derby man, who has ‘sexual preference for girls aged 11 to 13’

A pervert with “a sexual preference for girls aged 11 to 13” has been jailed for 16 months after contacting females under the age of 16.

Joseph Walsh, 20, had been made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order as part of a previous sentence for a sexual offence in 2014.

Under its terms he was forbidden from calling, texting or getting in contact with any girls aged under 16.

But within weeks of the order being made he had met a 15-year-old at Rollerworld, in Mansfield Road, Derby.

Walsh then went on to spend an afternoon walking around the city’s Intu Centre with the same female and her friend, who was aged 11.

And he also contacted a third girl, aged 14, by sending her a Facebook friend request, which she deleted.

Judge Jonathan Bennett told Walsh while sentencing him at Derby Crown Court : “The detective who investigated your case takes the view that you have a sexual preference for girls who are aged 11 to 13 as you see them less likely to reject you.

“And the probation officer who interviewed you has come to the conclusion in her report that she has concerns about you taking responsibility for matters and believes you are a high risk to girls aged 11 to 15 years old.

“I accept that I am dealing with you for breaches of a sexual offences prevention order and not for any sexual activity. But this was not one breach or two breaches but three breaches and one of the girls was aged only 11.

“And I face a stark choice of whether to hand you a high-level community order of three years where you can work with the probation service on your issues, or hand you immediate custody.

“I have come to the conclusion that I don’t have the confidence a three-year order will help you so it must be custody.”

Jeremy Janes, prosecuting, said Walsh, of Abingdon Street, had been made the subject of the order in 2014 not to contact any girls under the age of 16 for five years.

He said: “Shortly after the order was made he made contact with a girl, aged 15, at Rollerworld, in Mansfield Road.

“He and the girl, along with her 11-year-old friend then later spent an afternoon walking around the Intu Centre, in Derby. She was oblivious to you being part of an order.”

Mr Janes said the third breach saw him send a friend request to a 14-year-old girl, also in Derby, in early 2015, when he was aged 18.

He said: “We say these were deliberate breaches but accept nothing took place in terms of sexual activity.”

Walsh pleaded guilty to all three breaches.