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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Philip Dewey

Grandfather contacted decoy he thought was 11-year-old girl and asked for sex

A grandfather sent a photo of his penis to who he thought was an 11-year-old girl and asked if she "wanted to be f***** by a paedo c***". When police raided his home they found phones containing indecent images of children and extreme pornography.

Neil Ahearne, 58, of Gilfach Goch, told the girl, who was in reality a decoy, that he enjoyed having sex with young girls and wanted to meet up with her. He used an account under the name of Danny Smith when he made contact with the decoy, named Dani, who told him she was 11 years old and still at school.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard the online conversation between Ahearne and the decoy took place between October 1, 2020, and April 12, 2021. He also sent a photo of his erect penis to the decoy and asked for her photograph.

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The messages and the photograph were sent to South Wales Police and officers attended the defendant's home in Alfred Street on September 27 last year. His wife was at the property and told police her husband was in work. He was located at the Premier Inn in Birmingham and arrested.

Police seized a white Samsung phone from Ahearne's home and a black Samsung phone that was in his possession. The devices were examined and were found to contain indecent images of children and extreme pornographic images. They included children as young as 14 years old and the extreme images depicted an adult woman having sex with a dog. In total there were five category A images, two category B images and 12 category C images.

Ahearne later pleaded guilty to attempting to communicate with a child, possessing indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography. The court heard he had previous convictions for possessing and distributing indecent images in 2004.

Defence barrister Chloe Ashley said her client was a working man, had held down a steady job for a number of years, and had grandchildren. Sentencing, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said: "You communicated with (the decoy) in the most gross and obviously sexual tone, describing what you would like to do to her as well as sending her a photograph of your erect penis." The judge said while he accepted the defendant's previous conviction was almost 20-years ago, he said it "shows the core desire to see abuse is still present".

Ahearne was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment. He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years and to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

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