February 2018

Exmouth Facebook pest sent obscene picture to disabled schoolgirl

A Facebook pest who sent a vulnerable disabled 13-year-old girl an obscene image of himself has been sent on a sex offenders’ treatment course.

Shane Milton, who was living in Exmouth at the time he offended, started sending sexual messages to the schoolgirl within minutes of her accepting his friend request and carried on despite her telling him her age on six different occasions.

The girl did nothing to encourage him but he sent her an obscene image and tried to get her to start a video chat so he could commit a lewd act in front of her.

Exeter Crown Court heard how the victim is confined to a wheelchair, and relies on Facebook as her main way of keeping in contact with friends and the outside world.

She was so shocked by what Milton did, she has been wary of using the social media platform ever since, Exeter Crown Court was told.

Milton was living in Exmouth at the time but made contact with the girl, who comes from the North of the UK, through mutual friends.

He used the online name of Milky in their Facebook chats but was tracked down through Facebook and his IP address.

Milton, aged 23, now of Malham Road, Rasterick, Brighouse, West Yorkshire, admitted attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

He was ordered to attend a sex offenders’ treatment course under a two year community order and sign on the sex offenders register for five years by Recorder Mr Jonathan Barnes at Exeter Crown Court.

The Judge told Milton his was a ‘serious and unpleasant offence’ because the disabled victim was ‘very dependent’ on Facebook and what he did had an effect on her.

The Judge said: “This was a serious offence because you knew the age of the girl and persisted despite her trying to stop you.”

Miss Emily Pitts, prosecuting, said Milton, using the first name Milky, contacted the girl as soon as she accepted his friend request and started asking her about the size of her breasts.

She replied to all his sexual requests by telling him she was only 13 but despite this he tried to start a video chat. She refused and he sent her an obscene image.

He initially denied any contact with an under age girl but when he was shown the evidence he said he had been living in Exmouth for six months and had been drinking heavily.