A guy who conversed about engaging in sexual activities with what he believed to be a nine-year-old girl was informed that he was ‘extremely fortunate’ to avoid incarceration.
Struan Taylor, previously residing on Victoria Street in Kettering, erroneously assumed he was conversing with the child’s mother when he initiated his reprehensible dialogue, assuming she would permit him to exploit her youngster.
However, he was unaware that he was conversing with an undercover police officer when he proposed potential sites and transmitted ‘repugnant’ images.
On Friday at Leicester Crown Court, the 24-year-old received a suspended sentence and was registered as a sex offender.
Taylor, currently residing on Sutherland Way in Livingston, Scotland, was apprehended on January 25, 2022, for transmitting sexual photos of himself and articulating in full his intentions regarding the ‘kid’ upon their meeting.
He refuted any attempts to orchestrate or enable an act that would constitute a child sex offence, yet was convicted by a jury.
Taylor, attired in a blue suit in the dock, spent around two months in custody on remand before being granted bail prior to his trial.
The court was informed that he asserted he had no sexual fulfilment, and that his satisfaction stemmed from the fact that the individual with whom he was conversing could fulfil their desires.
Sentencing His Honour Judge Ebraham Mooncey stated: “The jury declared that your statements were manifestly absurd.”
“Your actions involved the enactment of sexual fantasies with the objective of engaging with a minor.”
Prosecutor Claire Fraser indicated a notable age disparity and informed the court that the sentencing guidelines for the offence established a starting point of five years’ imprisonment, with a range of four to ten years.
In his defence, Stephen Garbett asserted that no formal meeting was ever scheduled and that the discussions consistently involved the ‘mother’ rather than the ‘kid’.
He stated that Taylor, lacking any prior convictions, was ‘horrified’ by the texts he had dispatched.
He acknowledged that his actions was entirely improper and the language spoken was abhorrent.
Mr. Garbett stated that Taylor was a ‘significantly transformed individual’ and implored Judge Mooncey to delay any sentence he would impose, recognising that it was a ‘substantial request.’
Mr. Garbett stated, “He is an individual who committed a rather egregious error.”
His Honour Judge Mooncey informed Taylor that his conduct was ‘concerning’ and mitigated the sentence from four years to three years due to the absence of an actual kid.
He subsequently diminished it to two years due to his mitigation, indicating it could be postponed. He stated that, due to his prior experience with detention and the potential for rehabilitation, he was prepared to postpone the two-year prison sentence for two years, informing Taylor that he was fortunate to have narrowly escaped incarceration.
He expressed: “I hope the probation service can assist you, and that the court will never encounter you again.”
Taylor was mandated to participate in rehabilitation programs and do 100 hours of community service.
He will be subjected to a sexual harm prevention order and will be registered as a sex offender for a duration of 10 years.
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