Mansfield man ‘suddenly’ committed sex offence trying to groom underage ‘decoy’
A Mansfield man who ‘suddenly’ committed a sex offence when he tried to groom what he thought was an underage girl will learn if he is to be jailed in September, a court has heard.
Christopher Stapleton, aged 40, of Willoughby Court, Mansfield, admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication and attempting to incite a girl under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity.
Nottingham Crown Court heard the offences happened between December 18 and 21 last year and were brought to light by a self-styled paedophile hunter group who set up an online decoy.
His barrister said guilty pleas were indicated when he appeared at the magistrates court and although Stapleton has previous convictions for possessing cannabis in 2007 and 2012 he has "nothing else of relevance."
On Tuesday, Judge Nirmal Shant KC, honorary Recorder of Nottingham Crown Court, said: "He is plainly someone who has suddenly attempted to commit sexual offences and I would like the probation service to find out what is going on.
"But he is not to take that as an indication that he is not going to get a non-custodial sentence. Far from it.”
She told Stapleton: “This plainly crosses the custodial threshold and you are likely to receive a custodial sentence.”
Sentencing was adjourned until September 27 and a probation report was ordered.
He was granted bail on condition he has no unsupervised contact with any child under 18 or to live at any address with a child under 18.
He was also ordered to report to the police station until he is sentenced.