Pervert who exchanged sexual images with a child has been spared from jail

Sheffield Crown Court heard on December 10 how Daniel Willenbrook, aged 29, of Headford Street, near Sheffield city centre, sent two pictures of his genitals to a 15-year-old girl and persuaded the youngster to send him images of her breasts and genitals.

Andrew Bailey, prosecuting, said Willenbrook was caught after police had initially been alerted to a sexual online dialogue the defendant had been engaging in with an adult man who was pretending to be a 12-year-old girl.

Officers also discovered separate indecent images of children on Willenbrook’s laptop computer, according to Mr Bailey, as well as the sexual online dialogue with the 15-year-old on his phone.

Mr Bailey said: “Police were contacted and his home was searched and his laptop was searched and illegal images were found.”

He added the man purporting to be a 12-year-old girl visited the defendant’s home and workplace before police were called and officers discovered the extent of Willenbrook’s offending from 2018.

Willenbrook pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child in relation to the 12-year-old online decoy and to engaging in sexual communication with a child aged 15.

He also admitted possessing separate indecent images of children including categories A, B and C, with category A being the most serious.

Edward Moss, defending, said Willenbrook who has endured a long delay in bringing the case to a conclusion has been identified by the probation service as someone who could be rehabilitated.

Mr Moss added: “He is clearly someone who is in the last chance saloon for this type of offending.”

Judge David Dixon said he was shocked Willenbrook had only been charged with sexual communication with a 15-year-old because he regarded the online contact to have amounted to sexual activity.

He pointed out Willenbrook had twice sent the youngster a picture of his genitals and he had asked for and received a picture of the youngster’s breasts and a picture of her genitals.

Judge Dixon sentenced Willenbrook to two years of custody suspended for two years with a sex-offender treatment programme, a rehabilitation requirement and 120 hours of unpaid work.

Willenbrook was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.