'Keyboard pervert' encouraged young girl to commit sex acts

A “KEYBOARD pervert” approached a young girl on a popular social media site and then sent her sexually explicit messages and “badgered” her into committing sex acts on camera, a court has heard.

- JASON EVANS Court and crime reporter

Jack Barrett from Waunarlwydd, Swansea, was given a 10-year extended sentence.

(SOUTH WALES POLICE)

Jack Barrett's offending came to light after the girl's father found messages on his daughter's phone and contacted the police.

The offending happened shortly after the defendant had completed a suspended prison sentence following a previous conviction for possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

Barrett's barrister told Swansea Crown Court that his client had completed a sex offenders course as part of his suspended sentence but had re-offended anyway, adding: “He knows what he did was wrong whether he can help himself is another matter.”

Carina Hughes, prosecuting, told the court that in June last year police officers from the sexual and violent offenders management unit in Swansea attended Barrett's home as part of their monitoring of him in the community.

She said the defendant told officers his mother had recently died and he had attended her cremation a few days previously, and he said he was simply spending his time at home watching TV as he dealt with the grieving process. The officers offered to postpone their visit in the circumstances but Barrett was happy to continue with the checks.

The court heard that on the same day that the police visited, Barrett made contact with a 14-year-old girl on the TikTok social media platform and the pair began to exchange messages before their conversation moved to the WhatsApp messaging application.

The prosecutor said Barrett proceeded to send the child messages which were “graphic in nature” including explicit descriptions about the sex acts he wanted to carry out.