Jailed Bidford sex offender is an ‘ongoing risk’ to young girls

A man who persuaded a 15-year-old girl to send him intimate pictures of herself while he was already subject to a court order for similar offences has been jailed.
Antony White was told by a judge at Warwick Crown Court, who jailed him for three years and four months, that he poses ‘an ongoing risk’ to under-age girls.
White, aged 30, of Crompton Avenue, Bidford, pleaded guilty to causing a child to engage in sexual activity by taking indecent pictures of herself and sending them to him.
He also admitted inciting her to engage in sexual activity and being in breach of a sexual offences prevention order imposed at Worcester Crown Court in 2014.
Prosecutor Graeme Simpson said that in May last year the police went to White’s home and seized his mobile phone which was then examined.
They found he had been communicating with the girl, who is from Kent, in ‘sexual and explicit terms’ over a four-month period.
“He repeatedly made it clear he wanted to have intercourse with her, and that he particularly liked the fact that she was under-age, and would in fact prefer it if she was even younger.”
White sent her intimate pictures of himself, and persuaded her to send him pictures of herself naked.
She was reluctant to do so, but complied, and he also pressurised her to send more explicit images.
After being traced, she was so upset and traumatised that she refused to co-operate with the police, but her mother did assist the officers and has said the girl has become ‘distant and despondent and socially withdrawn’ as a result.
Mr Simpson added that in April 2014, White had been jailed for 16 months at Worcester Crown Court, and made subject to the sexual offences prevention order, for inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.
Then in September 2015, he was given a 12-month community order at the same court for seven offences of making indecent images of children.
Of the messages White sent the girl, Graham Russell, defending, put forward: “Their content is in the subjunctive mood: ‘if you were here I would…’ and so on. There is no count of attempting to meet her.”
But Judge Anthony Potter observed: “But there is a message saying he wanted to meet her before she was 16 to have sex with her.”
Mr Russell argued that that was ‘more fantasy than actual arrangements.’
The barrister continued: “When he was previously before the crown court he was not able to admit his attraction to young girls. That was gradually wrung out of him by the author of the pre-sentence report.
“She recommends a course Mr White has to undertake to address such behaviour. He recognises he needs help.”
Jailing White and ordering him to register as a sex offender for life, the judge also imposed a sexual harm prevention order, restricting his contact with children and his use of internet-capable devices, for 15 years.
Judge Potter told White: “There is the aggravating feature of your previous convictions, and that you were subject to a specific court order designed to prevent such offending.
“But although you expressed enthusiasm for meeting up with her, there is no evidence you made any practical arrangements to do so. Had there been, you would have faced more serious charges.”
“You have made some admissions in the pre-sentence report to an interest in under-age girls. It is a step in the right direction that you are acknowledging what is obvious to everyone else.
“The course will address your unhealthy interest. You pose an ongoing risk to under-age girls of serious harm.”