Man messaged girl, 12, online telling her to record sex act

Paul Chesher, of Herbrandston, began messaging schoolgirl ‘Ellie’ on the social network site Kik on August 31, 2021. It was actually an undercover police officer.

When the decoy said they were at school, Chesher asked them to “sneak to the bathroom” and send him a picture, prosecutor Regan Walters said.

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The defendant sent pictures which showed his face and told the decoy he was 56.

Mr Walters said Chesher would repeatedly refer to ‘Ellie’ as being “too young”, that he would “get in to trouble”, and that he “could go to jail”, as well as referencing that ‘Ellie’ “could be the police” and stating “this is so wrong”.

Despite this, he continued to ask the decoy for pictures, about her underwear and about her sexual experiences. He also told ‘Ellie’ to delete their conversations.

Chesher also directed the ‘girl’ to masturbate, and asked her to film herself doing it and send it to him.

Police were able to identify Chesher’s email and then his IP address. He was arrested at his home on October 22, 2021.

The now 66-year-old, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child and two offences of attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity.

Paul Chesher was caught messaging who he thought was a 12-year-old girl online. (Image: Dyfed-Powys Police)

Stuart John, in mitigation, said there had been a “substantial delay” in the case coming to court.

“He has never been in any sort of trouble before,” he said.

“He feels a deep sense of shame being arrested for offences of this nature.”

Mr John said Chesher had suffered from medical issues which led to loneliness at the time of his offending.

Mr Walters said the delay was caused by a more than year-long hold-up in the devices being analysed, with a review of the material not completed until last August, and a delay in getting permission from Homeland Security in America to access information from Kik.

“You persisted in these activities for over a month. You knew full well what the consequences of this were to be,” said Judge Geraint Walters.

“This wasn’t a momentary lapse in judgement, it was a persistent one.

“You still haven’t come to fully accept that the motivation had nothing to do with your mental or physical health, but your interest in children.”

Chesher was sentenced to 27 months in prison. He must register as a sex offender for 10 years, and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

Detective Constable Paul Kelly, of Dyfed Powys Police, said: “This sentence and the investigation itself demonstrated excellent collaborative working between police agencies.

“It sends a clear message to perpetrators that crime against children is abhorrent, and that we as police will find the perpetrators and seek justice for the children involved.”

Tarian Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) case officer, Detective Constable Isaac Gott, said: “Our ROCU is dedicated to identifying individuals who have a sexual interest in children, and we will relentlessly pursue them.

“In addition to his sentence, Chesher now has a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.”