Whitby man given a 10-year order after sending explicit images to a girl
The 19-year-old also received a suspended sentence of eight months
A Whitby man has been given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order for traumatising a girl after he sent her sexually explicit images of himself via online messaging sites.
Rowan Brewster, 19, also received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, at York Crown Court on Wednesday (15 May 2024).
He had previously pleaded guilty to sexual communication with the girl, causing her to watch or look at images of sexual activity, and making indecent photos or pseudo photos of children.
The offences happened in October 2022 when Brewster was aged 18.
He sent the victim both still and moving images via Snapchat and Instagram.
The victim was left traumatised and confided in a friend who rightly reported it to North Yorkshire Police.
During his police interview, Brewster fully admitted the offence and claimed that he “fancied” the underage girl and “regretted” his behaviour.
However, a subsequent examination of his phone identified numerous indecent images, one of which was classified as a Category B illegal image of a child being sexually abused by an unknown man.
Police Staff Investigator Paul Thompson, from Scarborough and Ryedale CID, said:
“The young victim in this case has suffered greatly and I hope she can now begin to rebuild her life.
“This case highlights the very real dangers associated with online child abuse and the normalisation of sharing sexually explicit images online which can lead to prosecutions.
“As for Brewster, he is now subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order with tight prohibitions. If he steps out of line it is likely his liberty will be taken away from him.”