A PERVERT has narrowly escaped prison sentence after he sent indecent images of himself to who he believed to be a teenage girl.

Dale Wadeson sexually communicated with a girl purporting to be 13-years-old between March 5 2023 and March 24 2023, Preston Crown Court heard.

Prosecuting the case, Amy Weir said Wadeson – age 54 – was instead speaking with an undercover police officer.

Ms Weir said the defendant told the decoy he was an 18-year-old college student when beginning their sexual interaction using the 321 Chat website.

She told the court Wadeson would ‘persistently message the girl’ and that he would ask the girl to send naked pictures of herself to him.

Ms Weir said the conversation moved to Snapchat where Wadeson sent pictures of his erect genitals to the girl and later told her to share the images with her friends.

'Can you let one of your friends see my genitals. I see it as a turn on', the defendant told the decoy, the court heard. 

He was arrested at his home address on Risedale Road, Barrow, on April 4 last year where officers seized two devices: a mobile phone and a laptop.

The court heard the devices were searched for illegal activity by specialist police teams and were found to contain seven category A images, three category B images and 30 category C images.

Further analysis uncovered the defendant had been in possession of three prohibited images of children and 23 extreme pornographic images portraying an act of intercourse / oral sex with a dead / alive animal.

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In mitigation, defence barrister Francesca Persaud said her client had taken steps to address his offending.

Ms Persaud said: “He handed over the devices willingly to the police and has deleted his Facebook and Snapchat accounts.

“His daughter has anxiety and struggles with going out in public. She relies heavily on her father for support.

“The probation service considers him to be an appropriate candidate for a treatment course through rehabilitation days. I would ask you to step back from imposing an immediate sentence.”

Wadeson pleading guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, three counts of making indecent images, as well as possessing prohibited images of children and extreme pornographic images.

His Honour Judge Guy Mathieson described the offence as ‘despicable’ when imposing an 18-month sentence suspended for two years on October 3.

Before passing sentence, he told Wadeson: “You have never said you are ashamed of your behaviour. You say you have no unhealthy attitudes towards sex. You say it was all fun and games. That is despicable.

“You have no insight at all into what you are doing, which is deeply, deeply troubling.

“Because of your daughter and your daughter only, I will suspend the sentence.

“Lord only knows what would happen and how she would cope if I were to send you to prison.

“You will complete 300 hours of unpaid work to give something back to the community which you stained with your sexual antics.

“Do not let me see you again. You will only get one chance.”

Judge Mathieson also ordered Wadeson to complete 15 RAR days and subjected him to a sexual harm prevention order and notification requirements for ten years.