A woman from Rotherham wept as she was sentenced to prison for encouraging a vulnerable adolescent boy, who was described as having the cognitive abilities of an 11-year-old, to participate in sexual activities with her.
Imprisoning Kelsey Brookes, a 25-year-old, for three distinct sexual offences committed against the youngster, Judge David Dixon stated: “You explicitly expressed a desire to engage in sexual activity with a child.”
“You transmitted videos of yourself to him…and you transmitted pictures of yourself in the shower, completely unclothed.”
The Sheffield Crown Court was informed that the kid, who was described as “highly susceptible,” was 15 years old when the crimes were committed. He has the right to remain anonymous for the rest of his life.
“According to Judge Dixon, a boy with the cognitive capacity of an 11-year-old was being solicited for sexual activity by an adult. The adult was sending explicit images of herself engaging in sexual acts. The judge also noted that the boy’s understanding of adult emotions is severely limited.”
According to prosecutor Gurdial Singh, Brookes made 1,413 calls to the boy’s phone over several months, while he made 2,467 calls to her.
According to Mr Singh, specific texts contained explicit sexual content and described the desires and intentions of both individuals involved.
Brookes kept a photograph of the boy’s genitals on her phone, which he had texted to her.
Judge Dixon stated that he was required to sentence Brookes for the crime of causing or encouraging a child to participate in sexual conduct. This decision was made since there was no actual sexual action that took place between the two individuals. Brookes’ offence was limited to the content of her phone conversations with the kid.
He told the court, however, that he has ‘doubts about that’, given the nature of their communication.
Brookes’ wrongdoing came to light when her phone was analysed, leading to her being accused of inciting a boy between the ages of 13 and 15 to participate in sexual activity. She was also charged with engaging in sexual activity with a minor and causing a child between the ages of 13 and 15 to view explicit images.
Residing at Whitehill Road in Brinsworth, Rotherham, Brookes confessed to all three accusations.
In her defence, Rebecca Randall stated that Brookes had demonstrated authentic regret for her wrongdoing by pleading guilty, receiving highly positive letters of recommendation, and writing a letter to the court.
According to Ms Randall, Brookes, who had no previous criminal record, did not attempt to excuse or justify her actions. However, Ms Randall mentioned that Brookes was going through a period of intense stress when she committed the charges.
“This conduct was completely inconsistent with the person’s usual behaviour,” stated Ms. Randall.
“She is overwhelmed by feelings of shame,” stated Ms Randall, who also mentioned that Brookes’ mental well-being had declined to the point where she thought it was necessary to reach out to the mental health crisis team in April 2024. The user’s text is a quotation mark.
Brookes and her family members, who were seated in the public gallery, cried as Judge Dixon sentenced her to commence a 30-month incarceration.
In addition, he imposed a 15-year sexual harm prevention order on her, which will limit her internet usage and forbid her from residing with a male under the age of 18 unless authorised by the appropriate local authorities.