Man avoids jail after admitting he incited girl, 15, to have sex
A MAN with a “proclivity for younger girls” tried to persuade a 15-year-old girl to have sex with him by promising to recover some money she was owed in return.
But despite already having a reprimand for having sex with another under-age girl when he was also a teenager, Royston Greening has avoided being jailed.
He had originally denied a charge of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity at Warwick Crown Court, but later changed his plea to guilty.
Greening, 23, of Grafton Lane, Alcester, was sentenced to nine months in prison suspended for two years and ordered to register as a sex offender for an indefinite period, but for at least ten years.
He was also ordered to take part in a 60-day rehabilitation activity to address his “proclivity for younger girls and seeking them out for sex”.
Carl Templar-Vasey, prosecuting, said that at the time of the offence in 2015, Greening would have been 21 and the girl 15.
A series of 161 texts were exchanged between them which were of a sexual nature or leading up to being of a sexual nature.
Initially the girl told the police her responses had been “platonic”, but an examination of the texts showed that was not the case, said Mr TemplarVasey.
He pointed out that Greening had entered his plea on the basis that, during the early exchange of texts, he had not realised the girl was under-age.
But he accepted knowing she was only 15 when he sent his final text in which he told her: “If you let me shag you, I’ll get you your money back. It will be worth it.”
Judge Lockhart observed that that was a reference to the fact that the girl had fallen out with a friend of hers who owed her money, and he was saying: “I’ll get your money back if you have sex with me.”
Mr Templar-Vasey said Greening had a number of previous convictions, and in August last year had been jailed for dangerous driving.
But although none of his convictions were for sexual offences, he had been given a reprimand in 2013 for engaging in sexual activity with an under-age girl at a time when he was 17.
Sukhdev Bisla, defending, said: “From the outset he has accepted he has sent one text. It’s set out in his police interview that he sent that. He accepts what he’s done.”
He pointed out that, since the offence, Greening has served a prison sentence for the dangerous driving and is said to be doing well on licence since his release.
Sentencing Greening, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC said the girl had fallen out with a friend over money, and told Greening: “You took advantage of that situation.
“You thought you could communicate with her and incite her to have sex with you on the basis that you could help get the money back. It is an unpleasant matter.
“You had been communicating with her before in a quite graphic way, but they are not offences because you say you were not aware she was under 16 at that time.”
You thought you could ... incite her to have sex with you on the basis that you could help get the money back. It is an unpleasant matter. Judge Lockhart