A NORTH Cumbria man who engaged in “despicable” online chat with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl has been sentenced by a judge.
Andrew Trollope was snared by an undercover police officer as he engaged in highly sexualised communication on an internet messaging service during April last year.
Carlisle Crown Court heard Trollope, a 59-year-married man, “described their conversation as our little secret” having been told he was talking to a girl aged 13. The exchanges also included an arrangement to meet at Wolverhampton railway station, prosecutor Charles Brown saying: “The Crown submit the conversation shows an unhealthy interest in children.”
Arrested by police in Carlisle on May 2, Trollope later admitted three crimes: attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence.
After considering a probation service pre-sentence report, Judge Nicholas Barker imposed a three-year community order. This order comprises a rehabilitation activity requirement, attendance on an intensive sex offender treatment course and 160 hours’ unpaid work.
Trollope, of Heads Nook, near Brampton, must also sign the sex offenders’ register for five years, and comply with the strict terms of a sexual harm prevention order.
“It seems to me the appropriate course to take is one of intervention to seek to prevent this despicable interest of yours becoming any worse,” Judge Barker told him. “You should look at this as a final warning.”
