Paedophile Thought He Was Messaging a Father, Actually Talked to Police
A man avoided jail after trying to arrange abuse of a child online, believing he was communicating with a father.
Sittingbourne, UK, Julian Smith, Child Abuse, Undercover Police
Sittingbourne: So, there’s this guy, Julian Smith, who thought he was chatting with a dad about meeting up with his seven-year-old daughter. Turns out, he was actually messaging an undercover cop. Crazy, right?
This 54-year-old sent some really disturbing messages on Snapchat, asking about the girl and making all sorts of inappropriate comments. It’s just sickening to think about.
When the police showed up at his home, he broke down and admitted he was a “bad man.” He even confessed to the officers that he wasn’t planning to go through with it because he was scared of getting caught. But still, the things he said were just awful.
In court, his lawyer tried to paint him as a lonely guy who hadn’t worked in years and was struggling with anxiety and depression. But the judge made it clear that what he did was extremely serious, even if the child wasn’t real.
In the end, he got a two-year prison sentence, but it was suspended for two years. He’ll be on the sex offenders’ register and has to do a bunch of community service. It’s a wild story, and it really makes you think about the dangers out there.