Hartlepool sex offender asked ‘13-year-old girl’ for nude snaps

Martyn Vaughan, 29, responded to the ‘girl’s’ profile on an internet chat room that had actually been created by a group of members of the public called Woolpack Hunters UK, who try to catch online child groomers.

Vaughan told the girl, who was really a woman from the group, that she was ‘gorgeous’ and he wanted to marry her.

Later the talk became more explicit when he asked her to send him intimate photos, and he sent her an indecent picture of a child which was in the most serious category by law.

Police were informed and also found another 24 indecent pictures of children in lesser categories on his mobile phone.

Emma Atkinson, prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court, said: “She set up a profile at Meet4U with the name Lilly White and said she was 13 years old.

"He told her he was 26, which he was at the time, and that he was alright about her age.”

In January 2018, he asked her for naked pictures of her and sent her pictures of adults having sex, and the picture including the child.

Vaughan was arrested at his home in Sheriff Street, Hartlepool, and his phone was seized.

Ms Atkinson added: “There were 24 indecent images of children and search terms indicative of an interest in young girls.”

He pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, two counts of making indecent images of children and one of distribution.

Stephen Constantine, defending, said in mitigation Vaughan has a number of physical and mental health issues.

He said Vaughan recognises he has a problem and welcomed treatment and help to prevent him offending again.

Judge Paul Watson said he could suspend the inevitable prison sentence due to Vaughan’s willingness to engage with the probation service and because he has not offended since.

He was given 18 months suspended for two years and 60 hours on a treatment course.

Vaughan was also made the subject of Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must notify the police of his whereabouts for 10 years.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper.

We have arranged a special 20 per cent off subscription offer for people to take advantage of. Visit www.localsubsplus.co.uk, choose the newspaper title, the type of subscription and enter your details.

Thank you