Hull Crown Court heard how Simon Claydon from Bridlington sent ‘repulsive’ and ‘revolting’ messages to a decoy teenager which would have been ‘highly corrupting’
A 55-year-old man was caught in an undercover sting after he sent “revolting” messages to what he thought was a 13-year-old girl. Simon Clayden from Bridlington sent “terrible” and “repulsive” sexual messages to a decoy teenager in an online chat app on December 30, 2022.
Hull Crown Court heard how the messages would have been “highly corrupting” if the girl had been real. However, her online account was all part of a police operation to identify and deter online perverts from potentially harming actual children. He admitted attempting to communicate sexually with a child, attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity and two offences of making indecent images of children.
Ashleigh Metcalfe, prosecuting, said the fake girl told Clayden she was 13 but he replied “cool” and asked her what she was wearing. He asked to see her naked and continued to send sexualised messages, including asking explicit questions, reports HullLive.
He told her “I won’t tell” and said he liked the fact that she was just 13. The messages were all apparently sent on just one day. Clayden seemingly stopped sending them voluntarily and there had been no repetition, said Miss Metcalfe.
What Clayden was saying in the messages was “quite revolting” and “repulsive” and the “terrible talk” by him would have been “highly corrupting” if it had been a real 13-year-old girl, the court heard.
The messages were passed to the police, who went to Clayden’s home on February 2, 2023 after identifying him from his online details.
His phone was searched and police found five indecent images of children in Category B and 22 in Category C, dating from between October 2020 and February 2023.
The children involved in the images were aged between four and 16. Sexual acts were involved. During police interview, he denied any sexual interest in children and denied any knowledge of the images of children on his phone.
David Camidge, mitigating, said Clayden had no previous convictions and pleaded guilty. There was some evidence of minimisation during a probation service interview but Clayden accepted what he had done.
“He always intended to plead guilty,” said Mr Camidge. “There is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. He doesn’t present a risk to the public or it can be managed in the community.”
Clayden was given a 16-month suspended prison sentence, a sex offenders’ treatment programme and 15 days’ rehabilitation. He was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and he must register as a sex offender for 10 years.
