Scarborough chef spared jail for online sex offences

Thomas Locker, 27, sent a friend request to what he believed was a 12-year-old girl on Snapchat and immediately asked her what she was wearing, York Crown Court heard.

“His message was, ‘Hey sexy x’, followed by asking what she was wearing and if he could see her school uniform,” said prosecutor Kelly Clarke.

“He said he was 22 and from Yorkshire and she told him her age was 12.”

Locker - using the online alias ‘John Smith 232358’ and not realising he was in fact speaking to an undercover officer masquerading as a child - asked the ‘girl’ to take a photo of herself and when this was sent to him, he said she was “cute” and asked for more.

He then sent “gallery” images of himself wearing underwear and of an intimate part of his body.

In a subsequent conversation, he asked the ‘girl’ for another picture and said to her: “Come on, come sit on daddy’s lap x.”

He then asked for more videos of the ‘girl’ and sent her a message telling her he was at work.

“He then sent a live image of half of his face…and wearing his chef whites,” she added.

“He said he was a chef and asked for a video of what she was wearing, and said ‘You look sexy x,’” said Ms Clarke.

Locker then bombarded the ‘girl’ with live images of him performing a lewd act. Three days later, he asked her to “sneak a photo” of herself and responded by sending her more images of his private parts.

“He asked her to take her jumper off and take further images,” said Ms Clarke.

About a week later, Locker got in touch with the ‘girl’ again and sent her more pictures of himself in his chef whites, only this time he changed into dark clothing which revealed a tattoo.

“In a further conversation, he said he would like to have sexual intercourse with her and requested a picture of her in underwear,” said Ms Clarke.

In a final message sent in June this year, he sent another video of himself performing a lewd act and asked the ‘girl’ why she was ignoring him.

He was arrested on June 20 and immediately made full admissions to police. He was charged with attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child under 13 to watch an image of sexual activity.

Locker, of Stadium Lane, Scarborough, admitted the offences, which occurred between May 4 and June 9. He appeared for sentence via video link today after being remanded in custody.

His solicitor advocate David Camidge said that Locker, who had never been in trouble before, had reflected upon his crimes and admitted they were “horrible”.

Judge Simon Hickey told Locker he “clearly knew” the ‘girl’ was young “but that didn’t deter you”.

However, he said that Locker had been frank with police from the outset, had made full admissions and the ‘girl’ in question was fictional.

The judge also noted his hitherto good character and that he had a supportive fiancée and parents, and that his employer thought highly of him.

Mr Hickey told Locker: “I think you’ve had a warning or shot across your bows. Get working again and put this behind you.”

He added that a prison sentence would be so short as to be “fairly meaningless” and that it was more important for Locker to be rehabilitated in the community.

Locker was given a two-year community order with 100 hours of unpaid work and 30 days’ rehabilitation activity.

He was ordered to sign on the sex-offenders’ register for five years and placed on disbarring lists banning him from working with children and vulnerable adults.