Serial offender spared jail for sending sexually explicit messages to 13-year-old girl

A SERIAL offender who sent sexually explicit messages to what he believed was a 13-year-old girl has been spared jail.
Self-styled ‘paedophile hunters’ caught Jonathan Jupp, from Latchford, sending the vile messages to a decoy Facebook account they had set up.
But on Friday, July 6, the 24-year-old was spared prison at Liverpool Crown Court.
An account set up by the Justice for Children paedophile hunters group was contacted by the defendant through a profile under the name of Jonah Lee on Saturday, February 17.
Though Jupp was told the account belonged to a 13-year-old girl, he then sent two sexually explicit messages.
He was then arrested at his home on Brook Avenue in Westy after his picture was posted on the Justice for Children Facebook page alongside screenshots of the conversation.
When he was interviewed by police, Jupp broke down in tears and admitted sending the messages.
Jupp, who had 21 previous convictions for 31 offences, admitted attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and failing to comply with bail.
Following his arrest, Jupp had failed to notify police of his new home address on Henshall Avenue in Latchford.
The court heard that he had been scared to leave the house to inform the force after being attacked by two men who had seen Justice for Children’s Facebook post.
His honour judge Norman Wright spared Jupp jail.
He was instead subjected to a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 60 days, handed a community order of two years and given a five-year notification requirement.
An indefinite sexual harm prevention order was also imposed on Jupp, who was ordered to pay a victim surcharge.
Sentencing, judge Wright said: “Anybody would be horrified at the notion of a 24-year-old contacting a 13-year-old in this way.
“You need help in adjusting your attitudes.
“In ordinary circumstances, nobody who has engaged in the shameful behaviour that you did could expect anything less than an immediate custodial sentence.
“However, I seek instead to look forward to what can best be done to ensure that you don’t act in this way in the future.”