A paedophile messaged a 12-year-old girl and asked her if she wanted to see his penis before asking her to be his girlfriend. He later attempted to meet up with a 14-year-old at a motorway services but was met by members of a paedophile group who had been using a decoy.
David Havard, 31, of Bridgend, began messaging the real girl on December 27 last year via TikTok and she initially blocked him. Undeterred by this he proceeded to contact her on Facebook and asked if she wanted to see his genitals and his "erect penis".
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard the girl was "frightened" and told the defendant "no" but he persisted in messaging her and asked: "Do you want to be my girlfriend?" She pointed out she was only 12 years old, called Havard "a paedophile", and told him she was going to report the offence to the police. She told her family about what had been happening who alerted the police.
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By this time Havard was already in police custody having been arrested after trying to meet someone he believed to be young girls at Sarn motorway services on the M4. Prosecutor Jeffrey Jones said the defendant began speaking to a decoy account run by paedophiles on an over-18 website.
The decoy told the defendant she was 14 years old but he began speaking about sex and sent photos of his penis. He said he wanted to have sex with her and arranged to meet her with her 11-year-old friend. He invited her to sleep in his bed and explained in graphic detail what he would like to do to her. Havard also asked her to send photos of her bare chest.
The defendant was arrested and initially denied the offences and claimed he had not contacted the real victim and he had not sent pictures of his penis. He also claimed he "couldn't remember" sending pictures to the decoy.
Havard, of Oak Street, Aberkenfig, later pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and attempting to meet a child following grooming. The court heard he had received a caution after leaving a letter for a child outside her home which contained sexual messages and a conviction for outraging public decency after masturbating on a public bus.
In mitigation Helen Randall said there were initial concerns about her client's fitness to plea but after a psychiatric report found he was fit to plea he pleaded guilty to the offences. She said the defendant had a "difficult and abusive upbringing" and had poor mental and psychiatric health as well as learning difficulties.
Sentencing, the Recorder of Cardiff Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said there was a "significant risk" of Havard committing "contact sexual offences" in the future. She sentenced the defendant to four years imprisonment with an extended licence period of two years. He will serve two-thirds of the custodial period before he can be considered for release. Havard was made subject to sex offender notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order for life.
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