Ex-council leader admits two child sex offences
Community order for former politician after ‘fall from grace’
DISGRACED former Walsall Council leader Sean Coughlan has avoided a jail sentence for two child sex offences. Instead Coughlan, 65, was given an 18-month community order with a requirement to undertake 30 days rehabilitation.
He was also made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order which prohibits the use of any devices with access to the internet, unless he is supervised, and bars him from having any contact with anyone under the age of 16. Wolverhampton Crown Court Judge Michael Chambers ordered a laptop and mobile phone used by Coughlan to commit the offences be seized and destroyed.
He said Coughlan had suffered a “great fall from grace”.
Coughlan, of Martin Close, Willenhall, admitted attempting to cause a female he believed to be 14 to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child under 16. The court heard how Coughlan had set up a secret Facebook page called ‘Our Private Place’ where he sent a picture of his privates and encouraged what he thought was a 14-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity.
But it turned out to be part of a paedophile hunter sting and his crimes came to light when he was confronted by members of the Northwest Hebephile Hunters, who posted a 30-minute video of the meeting on social media.
This resulted in him being arrested and then charged by West Midlands Police.
He has been in custody ever since. Antoine Muller, prosecuting, said that in a police interview Coughlan admitted he was ashamed of himself and that he was a “sexual predator”. In mitigation, it was revealed his wife and fellow councillor Diane Coughlan had submitted a reference in support of her husband, as did
some unnamed councillors and other family members.
The court also heard how he had entered an early guilty plea and had been a man of previous good character who had served his community for almost 30 years as a councillor. It was also noted he had been remanded in custody since December.
Judge Chambers told Coughlan: “It needs to be said, although it should
be obvious to anyone, the sexual abuse of a child is clearly a serious matter. There was an element of grooming and clearly a disparity in age.
“There was an intention of penetrative sexual activity but there was no harm as there was no child. You are a man who has reached the age of 65 and have no previous criminal convictions.
“You have an excellent employment record and most significantly you have served your community and served it well as a councillor and leader of your group.
“The character references speak in glowing terms of how you go out of your way to help others.
“But what you wrote in your letter to the court is right.
“That regardless of the hundreds you have helped, your behaviour of late is what you’ll be remembered for.
“You have suffered a great fall from grace.”