Restaurant manager sent ‘disgusting’ pics to fake 12-year-old girl
PERVERT, 41, ARRESTED OVER KICK AND SNAPCHAT MESSAGES
A FISH restaurant manager sent a series of “disgusting and repugnant” pictures and videos to a fake 12-yearold girl after they exchanged intimate and explicit messages on social media platforms Kick and Snapchat.
Mark Collinson used the false name “Fandango” and he jokingly admitted to the decoy girl that he was a “bad man” for talking to her and that he “could get in loads of trouble” for it.
He asked her to keep quiet about their X-rated conversations because it was “our secret” and he later sent her a message with a Valentine’s Day heart on it, Hull Crown Court heard.
Collinson, 41, of Vicarage Walk, North Cave, admitted attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity during communication between January 25 and February 22, 2022.
Annabelle Coakley, prosecuting, said Collinson used the false name “Fandango” and he sent a message on the Kick social media site to an undercover decoy, who was posing as a 12-year-old girl.
She accepted Collinson’s invitation to chat and he also added her on Snapchat.
They began communicating and Collinson sent a number of explicit images of himself, including committing a sex act. “The communication from the defendant was sexual in nature,” said Miss Coakley.
The fake girl told Collinson that she was aged 12 and he laughingly replied: “12?!!” before making references to watching pornography and asked her explicit questions. On a couple of occasions, he asked the girl if she was still in school.
He sent a revealing video of himself and asked her if he should “lose” the boxer shorts that he was wearing. He sent a video of himself committing a sex act.
“You need a spanking,” he said. Collinson sent intimate images of himself and he told the decoy girl that she was as “cute as f***”.
He told her: “I’m a bad man for talking to you lol. Could get in loads of trouble. It’s our secret.”
Collinson sent a further explicit video of himself, filmed while he was watching pornography. He later sent further images of himself and explicit messages.
He asked her a picture and asked her what underwear she had on.
On February 14, 2022, Collinson sent her an image of a heart and the message “Happy Valentine’s Day”.
The conversations continued until February 22, 2022. He was arrested on May 7 of that year at his home.
He claimed during police interview that he believed that the decoy was an adult and that he had done nothing wrong. He had no previous convictions.
Ben Hammersley, mitigating, said that Collinson had shown regret and shame and he had difficulty expressing what had happened.
Mr Hammersley said he pleaded guilty, acted out of character and struggled to accept what he had done.
“There has been no police involvement in the two-and-a-half years since then,” said Mr Hammersley. “He is quite rightly disgusted by his behav
iour. “There is no other word for it. It’s disgusting and repugnant.” Collinson had worked all his life and he was a restaurant manager in Hull.
Recorder Paul Reid told Collinson: “For some time, you have an unnatural and unlawful sexual interest in children. Kick is well known to be used by children as a social media platform.
“The decoy was posing as a 12-yearold. You invited her to chat and you did so over a period of about a month. This was both on Kick and Snapchat. You went on in the conversation to talk about pornography and sex.”
Collinson was given a 14-month suspended prison sentence, 100 hours’ unpaid work and 30 days’ rehabilitation.
He was given a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and he must register as a sex offender for ten years. He was ordered to pay £425 costs.
For some time, you have an unnatural and unlawful sexual interest in children
Recorder
Paul Reid