Man Cleared Sexual Communication With Child Crown Court 2024

D was accused of 2 counts of ENGAGING IN SEXUAL COMMUNICATION WITH A CHILD, contrary to section 15 A (1) and (3) OF SEXUAL OFFENCES ACT 2003  against the same child.

In this case the crown alleged that D had deliberately sent such intimate images to an underage girl. This allegation involved the use of social media.

We asserted that  D is a young man who uses snapchat to find adult women with whom to have relationships.   His particular method sometimes involves the exchange of intimate images between himself and the women. 

In order to be guilty of the offence D must have sent the images intentionally to the girls and  to have done so with the intent to obtain sexual gratification.

The defence was that images had been sent, but that the underage girl was not the intended recipient.  D had sent the image to his recent contacts, without realising that the girl who was known to him had recently contacted him.  The intended recipients were a number of young women with whom he and been communicating.   On D’s account the communication was accidental and there was no intent to obtain gratification.

After trial the Defendant was acquitted by the jury.