Married city pervert groomed underage teen girl on Snapchat
A DERBY sex offender contacted an underage girl over Snapchat and invited her to his home for “naked cuddles” and booze.
Ryan Fitzhugh made the victim feel “horrible, weak and alarmed” after she saw the vile suggestions he was making to her.
She told her mother, who was able to screen-grab the messages for the police. But before detectives were able to interview her, Fitzhugh, of Boulton Moor, went to St Mary’s Wharf police station in Derby and confessed.
Handing him a six-month jail term, suspended for two years, Judge Shaun Smith QC said: “You are 27 in December and, to quote one of the people who has provided a reference for you, you are ‘fundamentally a good person’ who in their opinion ‘made a distressing error of judgement’.
“It was illegal and that is why you face a prison sentence. You made inappropriate comments to her, she blocked you on Snapchat and you made her feel guilty for it.
“You talked about her breasts, invited her to your house and suggested you could have ‘naked cuddles’. Thankfully, it stopped there because she told her mum.
“An interesting twist in this case and one which is fortunate for you is that you surrendered yourself to the police station before she even made a witness statement.
“She felt very uncomfortable by what you were doing.
“It made her feel horrible, weak and alarmed. You have apologised in the best way you can through your guilty plea.
“Grow up – don’t bother her again, concentrate on your family and consider this a close encounter in going to prison.”
Christopher Jeyes, prosecuting at Derby Crown Court, said the inappropriate messages began over the internet in April 2019 and continued until October.
He said the victim blocked Fitzhugh, of Greystoke Road, on Snapchat as she felt uncomfortable with some of the things he was saying.
Mr Jeyes said when she did, he messaged her over Instagram making her feel guilty for blocking him so she unblocked him.
“Matters came to a head when he messaged her inviting her to his house.
“He said they could drink alcohol, have naked cuddles and that his wife would not be there at that time. “She told her mum about the messages, but because they are on Snapchat they disappear after a short time.”
Mr Jeyes said because of that the victim and her mother engineered it so Fitzhugh sent the same messages the following day and the mum took screen grabs of them.
He said they called the police, but the defendant went directly to St Mary’s Wharf police station on his own volition, admitted what he had done and was arrested.
Fitzhugh, who had no previous convictions of any kind, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child.
Benn Robinson, mitigating, said: “At the time of the offence he was commuting to work in Rugby and back every day, was supporting his wife, paying a mortgage and was supporting his sister who had recently separated from her husband.”
As part of the suspended sentence, Fitzhugh must attend a 90-day sex offender programme and attend 35 rehabilitation session with the probation service.
He was also handed a seven-year sexual harm prevention order, a 10-year restraining order and will be on the sex offender register for the next seven years.
She felt very uncomfortable by what you were doing. It made her feel horrible, weak and alarmed. Shaun Smith QC