‘Lonely’ man groomed ‘teen’ on Facebook

A “LONELY” 34-year-old man groomed what he thought was a young girl he met on Facebook, a court has heard.

Ashley Mark Hobbs contacted the profile of a 14-year-old on the social media platform, and after striking up an initially innocent conversation began sending a series of explicit messages.

In reality he was communicating with a member of a so-called paedophile hunter group which was operating the fake account.

When arrested, Hobbs denied having any sexual interest in children.

Swansea Crown Court heard that in June this year Hobbs made contact with a Facebook profile which appeared to be that of a 14-year-old girl.

It had in fact been set up and was being run by woman who belonged to a group called Our Team.

Stephen Rees, prosecuting, said the pair began messaging each other but within a matter of weeks “the conversation became sexual”. Hobbs then sent a series of lurid messages to the girl’s profile asking her about her sexual history and experience.

The defendant then encouraged the girl to perform sex acts on herself, telling her to send him pictures so he could see if she was “doing it right”.

The matter was reported to police, and Hobbs was arrested on July 28. He admitted contacting the girl because he was “lonely and wanted to talk to someone” but denied any sexual interest in her.

Mr Rees said Hobbs was estranged from his wife, a woman with whom he has children.

Hobbs, formerly of Bryn Teg, Briton Ferry, but now of Trefenter, Ceredigion, had previously pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

The court heard he has a previous conviction for sexual assault from Neath magistrates in 2012 – when he had slapped a woman’s bottom – as well as convictions for attempted robbery, battery, and harassment.

In January this year he was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison, suspended for 24 months, for breaching a restraining order, and in June he was given a community order for a further breach.

Dyfed

Thomas, for

Hobbs, said the charges were “attempt” offences, as there had not, in fact, been a real 14-year-old girl behind the Facebook profile.

Giving Hobbs a onethird discount for his guilty pleas, Judge Paul Thomas QC sentenced him to two years in prison. The judge also activated 12 weeks of the previously imposed suspended sentence, and revoked the community order and resentenced the defendant to eight weeks for that breach – these sentences will run concurrently with each other, and concurrently with the two years.

Hobbs will serve up to a half of the two-year sentence in jail before being released on licence. He will be a registered sex offender for 10 years, and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.