Exclusive:Sheffield man, 80, caught sending vile messages to "child" admits having "obsessive" interest in young girls
“It appears from what you’ve told police that you are obsessive and enthusiastic about sexual activity with young girls”
“You’ve brought immense shame on yourself.”
These are the words an 80-year-old man with an “obsessive and enthusiastic” sexual interest in young girls was told, after he was caught sending vile messages to a “child.”
Martin Dawes’ catalogue of sexual offences began with the viewing and downloading of child sexual abuse images.
It subsequently progressed to the distribution of such an image, along with sexual communications to an online account belonging to an individual who purported to be a 13-year-old girl, but was in fact an undercover police officer.
During the course of the communication, Dawes - a journalist who worked for The Star for several years but more recently has been featured in The Tribune - asked the girl about her breast size and level of sexual experience.
Dawes told the “girl” he liked small breasts, prosecutor Amy Earnshaw told the court.
She said Dawes, who had the username “granddad” also asked the girl for an image of herself.
He told her she was “naughty” for using the RadioChat online platform, because anyone under the age of 18 is prohibited from using it.
Ms Earnshaw said Dawes, of Kenbourne Road, Nether Edge, Sheffield, lied about his age, claiming to be 69-year-old, around a decade younger than he is.
The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, described Dawes’ communications as “vile,” adding: “It appears from what you’ve told police that you are obsessive and enthusiastic about sexual activity with young girls.”
A hearing held on July 17, 2026 heard how Dawes was arrested in connection with the sexual communication in February 2024, when a number of devices were seized from his home address.
Ms Earnshaw told the court that Dawes was also arrested around 18 months earlier in October 2022, after officers received intelligence suggesting he had been downloading indecent images of children.
A number of electronic devices were also seized from his home address on that occasion.
Following analysis of his devices, Dawes was found to have downloaded 10 indecent images of children of Category B, the second-most serious of the legal categories, along with 17 of Category C.
Dawes was also found in possession of an extreme pornographic image that depicted an act of bestiality involving a dog.
Ms Earnshaw said Dawes was also found to have sent an indecent image of a child to another person using the Snapchat social media app.
Dawes pleaded guilty to one count of an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child; four counts of making indecent images of children; one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image and one count of distributing an indecent image of a child at an earlier hearing.
Sentencing Dawes to six months’ custody, suspended for 18 months, Judge Richardson told him: “You’ve brought shame on yourself, your wife and your wider family. You will also be on the sex offenders’ register.”
Explaining why he felt able to suspend Dawes’ sentence, Judge Richardson continued: “Society will be improved by expunging these perverted lusts from your mind, from the programme the probation service have in mind.”
As part of Dawes’ suspended sentence order, he will be required to complete a 40-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
Judge Richardson told Dawes he must remain on the sex offenders’ register for the next seven years.
Dawes was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order, which will restrict his use of the internet and his access to children, that will run for the same period of time.
“Never come back before this court again, if you do, you will go to prison,” Judge Richardson said, as the hearing concluded.