Local man thought he was meeting 14-year-old girl

Justice Stuart Konyer called Jesse Smith’s behaviour troubling as he sentenced the Peterborough man to more than a year in jail.

Last month, Smith pleaded guilty to child luring for sexual interference. Konyer handed down his sentence in the Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough on Monday.

“You represent a risk to children in our community,” Konyer said while sentencing the 29-year-old to 14 months in jail, and 18 months probation.

Smith has been in custody since July 5, and was credited with 217 days of pre-sentence custody, leaving him with six months and 23 days left to serve behind bars.

According to the agreed statement facts, Peterborough police’s internet child exploitation (ICE) unit received information that Smith was having inappropriate conversations online with underage girls. Police set up a fake Facebook account and sent Smith a friend request. On June 29, Smith accepted the friend request and began chatting with who he believed was a 14-year-old girl.

Further, Smith asked the “girl” if she had an age limit for who she’d have sex with. He also asked the “girl” several other sexual things, and sent two fullbody naked photos, two photos of his penis and a video of himself masturbating.

On July 5, 2019, the “girl” said she was coming to Peterborough. Smith sent her a photo of him so she’d know what he was wearing, and told the officer he would meet her at the Simcoe Street bus station with a Pepsi in hand.

Instead, police showed up at the station to find Smith sitting on a bench with a Pepsi for himself and a second one for the girl he thought was coming.

“It is a serious attempt on your part,” Justice Konyer said.

“That behaviour is very troubling.”