A 36-year-old Warrington man who wanted a girlfriend and fantasised about having sex with young teenage girls he believed he was communicating with online, escaped an immediate prison sentence due to his complex medical conditions.
Wheelchair-bound Elliot Dearn communicated online with girls he believed were aged 13 and 14 but were in fact decoys created by a paedophile hunting group.
Dearn spoke about having sex with the younger girl and tried to arrange for her to come to his home but instead, members of the group and the police turned up.
A judge told Dearn that normally the offences would warrant an immediate prison sentence but because of his complex medical conditions he instead suspended a 22-month sentence for 18 months.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Dearn, of Forbes Close, Birchwood, had pleaded guilty to four offences involving attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity between September 2020 and February 2021.
Michael Stephenson, prosecuting, said that the group Elite Solo Decoys set up three fake profiles on Facebook purporting to be two girls aged 14 and one aged 13.
Between November 8 and 12, 2020 Dearn communicated with one of the 14-year-olds and told her she was sexy and hot. The group removed the profile and Dearn began communicating with the other 14-year-old.
He told her she was hot and asked if she would be his girlfriend and said he would like her to come to his home. Dearn then started messaging the younger girl, again sending flirtatious messages and discussing oral sex.
Mr Stephenson said that he also asked her to see pictures of her in her bra and asked her to come to his home. He said he was in love with her. He gave her his address and phone number and said she was hot and would warm his bed.
Jim Smith, defending, said that that Dearn, who has no previous convictions, had complex medical issues including motor neurone disease, epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, neuropathy, a vascular condition as well as autism and learning difficulties.
He said that he lives with his parents who provide 24-hour care and supervision.
Mr Smith said that the offences involved “fantasies” of a man with emotional, physical and mental health problems and they were unlikely to have ever taken place.
Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said, “The four offences clearly are serious offences and I think you have now begun to appreciate that in the period since you committed them.”
He had had overtly sexualised conversations with the girls and asked for photographs and invited one to visit him.
The judge said it could not have happened because they did not exist and were decoys and “on any view it was clearly fantastical.”
He ordered Dearn to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same length of time.
