Convicted sex offender posed as teenage boy from Sheffield to send sexually explicit messages

A convicted sex offender posed as a teenage boy from Sheffield to send sexually explicit messages for children on social media.

Tom Brown created two accounts on Snapchat, including one which he used to pose as his 'older brother' and sent messages to people he thought were girls aged 12 and 13.

But the two girls were in reality undercover police officers.

He has now been jailed for more than three and a half years at Derby Crown Court.

The 34-year-old was already subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order at the time, which banned him from using any messaging service to contact anyone under the age of 16.

Brown, who has a number of previous convictions for similar offences, set up an account on Snapchat and began messaging an account he believed belonged to a 13-year-old girl in June 2023.

He claimed to be a 14-year-old boy from Sheffield who had an older brother and asked the girl if she would travel to meet them both for sexual activity.

On the same date, Brown also started messaging another account, which he believed to belong to a 12-year-old girl. He initially said he was a 14-year-old from Sheffield but then later claimed to be a 12-year-old from Derby.

Brown continued messaging this account for several days, asking the girl to send pictures of herself. He also sent pictures and videos to her showing him performing a sex act.

Investigations found the Snapchat account was being accessed via an IP address linked to registered sex offender Brown’s home in Lower Grove Road, Chesterfield.

He was arrested on June 19, 2023 and subsequently charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child; causing a child aged 13 to 15 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity; arranging/facilitating commission of child sex offence; attempting to cause/incite a female child aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity; attempting to cause a female aged 13 or over to engage in sexual activity and five counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

He admitted the charges and appeared at Derby Crown Court for sentencing on Monday, January 8 when he was jailed for three years and eight months with an extended licence period of three years. He must also sign the sex offender’s register and was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Derbyshire Police Det Cons Saj Hussain, who led the investigation, said: "Brown is a very dangerous individual with an appalling record of sexual offences involving children.

"Despite serving previous prison sentences and being subject to court orders he continues to flout the law and behave in this depraved manner towards children.

"He knew full well that he wasn’t allowed to message young people in this way but once again his warped sexual needs have landed him back in court.

"Thankfully, on this occasion the ‘victims’ were not genuine young people who may have been scarred for life by this individual.

"I am pleased that he is once again behind bars, and that the judge acknowledged his despicable attitude towards the law and legal system by ordering him to serve an extended licence period.

"I only hope that this stint in prison will finally give Brown the opportunity to realise the error of his ways."