Darlington pervert thought he was talking to teenage girl

Mark Summers didn’t realise that he was talking to a decoy when he struck up the online conversation with teenager ‘Clio’.

The 53-year-old soon turned the chat sexual before the police were informed about his online behaviour, Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard.

Jade Houston, prosecuting, said: “He had been in contact with the decoy online, who was posing as a 15-year-old, and he asked her for pictures.

“Throughout the conversation, he calls her beautiful and then goes on to talk about sex with her.”

Miss Houston said the defendant has three previous convictions for five offences but none were relevant to his current case.

Summers, of Park Place, Darlington, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child on April 18 last year.

John Clish, mitigating, said his client does have some level of learning difficulty and is struggling to come to terms with his offending.

He said: “The position the defendant has taken in his probation service interview isn’t helpful.

“What he tells me is that he panicked – he understands it’s a serious offence and what the sentence could be.”

Deputy District Judge Anna Moran sentenced Summers to eight months in custody suspended for 18-months and ordered him to attend 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

She said: “This is a serious offence which is why the court treats it as such.

“I realise that this was an attempt charge, there was no actual child on the receiving end, but that was not by design on your part.”

Summers was also ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register for ten years and pay £272 towards court costs.