Canvey grandad spared jail after talking to 'young girl' online

Stephen Walker, 61, of Derventer Avenue, Canvey had sexual conversations with two women posing as young teenage girls online.

He appeared at Basildon Crown Court yesterday where the court was told he was snared by a paedophile hunter group in February 2019.

Prosecuting, Michael Hillman told the court Walker also sent videos of himself carrying out a sexual act.

He said: “In 2018 he attempted to contact a girl and then again in January 2019 and started sexual conversation with who he thought was a girl, 13, but she was a woman acting as a girl.

“It continued for eight weeks and then in late January he asked the girl if she had a friend and another woman posing as a child joined the chat.

“He was sending naked images of himself as well a video of himself. There was talk about staying together in a hotel. Then in February 2019 a paedophile hunter group tracked him down and confronted him.

“He was encouraging one of the woman posing as girls to recruit other girls for the sexual chat and was telling them not to tell anyone and delete the images.”

Mitigating Alison Gurden told the court he helps care for his sick father.

She said: “He is grateful there was no impact on a real child and took steps himself to get help and courses from the Lucy Faithful Foundation.

“He’s had to take a step back from social circles as people do not want to be in contact with him and he’s aware of how people see him now.”

Judge Shane Collery branded the offences “plainly serious matters.”

He said: “You have no previous convictions and there’s never been any indication of this and it’s extraordinary how someone like you can find yourself in this situation.You have positive references and family who depend on you especially your parents.”

He was handed an 18 month sentence suspended for two years, ordered to complete 40 days of rehabilitation requirement days and 160 hours of unpaid work.He was also place under a sexual prevention harm order for 10 years.