March 29, 2018 11.58 am This story is over 72 months old

Lincoln village man found with picture of 15-year-old spared jail

He asked her to take a picture in-between her legs.

Lincoln Crown Court | Photo: The Lincolnite

A Digby man who admitted possessing an indecent image of a 15-year-old girl was given a two year community order after a judge said a short jail sentence would not help the public.

Dean Carr, 25, was also ordered to register as a Sex Offender for five years and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order after he pleaded guilty to possessing one photograph of the girl’s naked breast.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Carr was questioned by police after the girl reported the incident at school in February last year.

Julia King, prosecuting, said the girl was interviewed by specially trained police officers and revealed she had been chatting with Carr on Facebook messenger.

Miss King said the girl made it clear she was 15 but was requested by Carr to send him a photo of between her legs.

The girl refused but did send Carr an image of her breast on Snapchat and he sent her an image of his penis, Miss King added.

In her victim impact statement the girl, who can not be named, said she no longer felt safe to go out alone in case she bumped in to Carr and was also self harming.

Carr made admissions when he was interviewed by police stating: “I sent one to her, she sent one to me.”

Alison Summers, mitigating, said the probation service had detected Carr was somewhat vulnerable himself.

Miss Summers told the court: “He is someone who operates much younger than his age of 25.”

Carr, of The Pinfolds, Digby, south of Lincoln pleaded guilty to a single charge of possessing an indecent image of a child on February 9, 2017.

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Hirst said he was faced with the stark choice of a short jail sentence which would not help the public or a community order which would give the Probation Service time to work with Carr.

The judge warned Carr he would be locked up if he breached the order and told him his actions had a significant impact on his victim.

Judge Hirst said: “You asked her to send you a photo of between her legs, you sent her a photo of your penis.

“After some pushing from you she sent you a picture of her naked breast.”