Northumberland pensioner caught in online sting had indecent images of children as young as three
by Rob Kennedy · ChronicleLiveA pensioner who thought he was talking to a 12-year-old girl told her he was a retired school master and sent messages about spanking.
Nigel Holmes, 76, began communicating with a Facebook profile purporting to be that of a 12-year-old girl. It was a decoy profile created by a paedophile hunting group and had a picture of a young girl in school uniform.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that after some communication on Facebook in July 2020, the chat moved to WhatsApp and became sexual, despite the fact Holmes had been told she was 12. Neil Pallister, prosecuting, said: "The defendant said her mother should smack her bottom because she missed school."
He said he was a retired school master and said "I won't spank you lol you might like it". He also sent messages including: "If you were my daughter you would be over my knee regularly" and "I like you naughty really lol".
He also asked what bra size she was, if she had a boyfriend and said he found spanking "exciting and arousing".
Police were informed and he was arrested and his laptop was seized. On it were 17 category B indecent images of children and three category C. They showed children aged between three and 12. He had also been searching for teenage girls, schoolgirls and spanking.
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Holmes, of The Signals, Widdrington, Northumberland, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child and making indecent images of children. He was sentenced to an 18 month community order and must sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years.
Recorder Alistair MacDonald KC said: "It's very sad to see to see someone who has a university education, a highly intelligent person, coming before the court for this sort of offending."
He added: "He can't see his grandchildren. For most people of his age that's one of the joys of life and he has been deprived of that through his own behaviour."
Penny Hall, defending, said there had been a significant delay in the case which was not Holmes' fault. She added: "The courts often see much more serious sexual conversations taking place than this."
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