Speaking with an undercover police agent, a paedophile shared videos of himself engaging in a sex act with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. He also sought explicit pictures from the decoy.
Using an account under a bogus identity, 31-year-old Hywell Hardman of Bridgend messaged the decoy on Snapchat between February 8 and 13 this year. Claiming to be 17, the decoy informed him she was just 13.
The defendant asked the decoy for a picture and an image of a girl aged around 13, and the decoy was sent back to Newport Crown Court on Thursday. Enquiring about the colour of her pants, he said he would like additional pictures of her while she was in school.
Hardman requested the decoy for sexual images and to forward personal pictures, prosecutor Matthew Comer claimed. He provided photos and videos of himself, including his penis and of him engaged in a sex act. The terminology employed was sexually orientated.
Arrested and subsequently admitted guilty to trying to engage in sexual communication with a kid and try to encourage or instigate a child to view an image of sexual conduct, Hardman, of Stormy Down The court learnt he had past good character.
Ruth Smith stated her client left without qualifications and had past bullying trouble. She was trying to mitigate this. He only has supervised contact with his children; he was in a relationship when he committed the charges.
Judge Daniel Williams called sentencing “too serious to be dealt with by anything other than an immediate custodial sentence”. Hardman was sentenced to twelve months in prison and subjected to ten years of a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender notification requirements.