Suspended jail term for 69-year-old man with Larne address snared by 'paedophile hunters'
A 69-year-old man caught by a so-called paedophile-hunting group has been given a five months jail term, suspended for three years and was put on the sex offenders register for seven years.
Stephen Ford-Hutchinson, with an address given as Curran Road in Larne, was sentenced at Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Thursday on charges of 'attempted sexual communication with a child' between July 18 and August 1 in 2022 and three counts of possession of "extreme pornographic images" on August 1, 2022.
A prosecutor said an adult in an "online protection group" set up a "profile" saying she was a 14-year-old girl. The defendant got in touch and then asked for the communication to move to WhatsApp.
The prosecutor said there were "sexual communications and chat" with the "child".
The court was told there was an "arranged meeting" with "the enforcement people" arriving at a retail park in Larne and police were called. When arrested, the defendant's property was searched by police and on devices were "three extreme pornographic images".
The defendant, who had a previously clear record, was convicted of the charges following a contest.
A defence lawyer said the defendant had "very poor mental health and a complex background".
District Judge Nigel Broderick said the defendant had "sent photographs" in relation to the case.
The judge said a Probation report said the defendant "was living in a different world" and "seems to be delusional". He added: "The ingestion of alcohol and cannabis of course doesn't assist either".
As well as the suspended jail term and being put on the sex offender register, the defendant was also made the subject of a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).
Judge Broderick said the offences were "abhorrent" and would normally attract immediate jail but he was taking into account the defendant's clear record and age.
The judge said the "only reason" he was suspending the prison term was because the "very extensive and far-reaching SOPO offers society the best protection".
The SOPO includes conditions regarding access to the internet; the defendant is banned from using social media without prior approval of a designated risk manager; he is prohibited from having a camera or camera phone without approval and he is not to have any contact with children under the age of 16 without approval.