Man had online sex chat with undercover cop
JON MACPHERSON
AN AUTISTIC man who engaged in online sex chat with an undercover police officer has avoided jail.
Thomas Anthony Murray, 25, entered into conversation with what he thought was an 11-year-old girl called ‘Hannah’ before sending her a picture of his naked private parts, a court heard.
The offence took place in Church.
Prosecutor Philip Boyd said Murray went onto an internet chat website on January 22 last year and spoke to the officer for around 80 minutes.
He then went into the ‘Just Teens’ section and sent the officers a private message asking to exchange Skype addresses.
Burnley Crown Court was told how the officers identified themselves as an 11-year-old girl and Murray said he was a 24-year-old man from Blackburn.
Mr Boyd said Murray’s questioning became ‘increasingly sexual’ and asked if she was alone before requesting a naked picture. The court was told that Murray then sent the officer a picture of his naked genitals before leaving the conversation.
He was arrested on January 31 and gave a no comment police interview. Officers also found two category C images involving a child, including a 15-second video.
Murray, of Jubilee Road, Haslingden, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity and possession of inde- cent images of a child.
He was given a two-year community order with a 50-day rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for five years.
Defence barrister Kimberley Ombrusik said it was an ‘impulsive offence’ and Murray has a ‘significant number of issues’ because of his autism.
She told the court: “He has genuine fears in engaging in conversations with people of a similar age to him. He fears he will be manipulated or bullied by virtue of his autism.
“He has very little in the way of friends and friendship groups. He is a young man who has never done anything wrong before and this has come as a severe shock to him.
“Within minutes of the image being sent he cancelled the conversation and stops. He knows immediately that he has done something wrong. He really welcomes the help from probation.”
Judge Sara Dodd said it was a ‘very serious offence’.