“Lonely” pervert asked police officer posing online as girl, 12, if she was “frisky” and wanted “phone sex”
Mark Grayson’s HP laptop revealed a hoard of nearly 200 indecent images of children
A “lonely” and “isolated” pervert asked a police officer posing online as a 12-year-old girl if she was “frisky” and would like “phone sex,” a court heard.
Mark Grayson, aged 57, was engaged in conversation by the officer online on October 14, 2024.
In the several calls limited to that same day, Grayson, who went by the alias “Happy Chap”, claimed to be an 18-year-old called Ben from Leeds.
Sheffield Crown Court heard when Grayson was arrested at home the following month he told officers he had done “something daft” but there was “nowt physical, just words”.
However his laptop revealed a hoard of nearly 200 indecent images of children aged between six and 13 years old - 82 of which were category A, the most serious which comprise of penetrative rape in many cases.
Bev Wright, prosecuting, said Grayson had “encouraged” the online decoy to perform a sex act, adding that he was “doing the same”. He also requested an image of the fictitious youth’s genitalia.
Ms Wright said Grayson was told the girl was living in South Wales and the defendant replied he had a car and “would travel”.
However Grayson’s barrister, Richard Barradell, corrected the record in court by saying this was not true and his client did not own a vehicle.
Mr Barradell said Grayson was “lonely” and “riddled with anxiety,” adding that the “best” the defendant had ever managed in terms of a relationship with a woman lasted “three days”.
Grayson, who lived alone and had recently lost his mother at the time, found himself “isolated”, online and thinking he was “not doing any harm”.
A pre-sentence report stated the defendant refused to “face-up” to his sexual interest in children, however Mr Barradell said his client could not bear the thought of being labelled a “paedophile”.
The court heard Grayson had seven previous convictions for 10 offences, however nothing related to sexual offences.
Judge Anthony Dunne told Grayson: “You have a clear interest in children - that fuels the demand for more images which leads in turn to the abuse of real children.”
However the judge noted the communication with the police decoy was “relatively short-lived” and 16 months had gone by between the date of the offences and Grayson being charged.
He said: “I’ve come to the view that you are someone who has not yet faced up to the reality of your sexual interest in children, but it’s not impossible that you can in due course.”
Grayson was handed 20 months’ jail suspended for two years. He was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and comply with probation in respect of his rehabilitation.
The defendant, of Ridal Close, Stocksbridge, admitted possessing indecent images of children and attempting to incite a female child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.