A Lancaster University student has been jailed for 20 months after admitting sending lewd photos and videos of himself to someone he thought was a 12 year old girl, but was an undercover police officer investigating online paedophilia.
Jo Goodwin, 19 years old from Pope Lane, Penwortham, Preston, admitted five counts of attempting to arrange or facilitate an act which would involve the commission of a sexual offence, three of intentionally attempting to cause or incite a girl under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, and two of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act. He must sign the sex offender’s register.
The Lancashire Post reported that Goodwin posed on Kik as “Mr Humperdinckle”and encouraged the ‘12 year old girl’ to commit sexual acts over Skype and sent explicit photos of himself. Goodwin’s messages included the instruction “call me Daddy”. On being told he was talking to a 12-year-old, Goodwin replied “age doesn’t matter”.
Goodwin was unaware that he was speaking to an undercover police officer, and revealed his name, landline number and mobile number.
Joe Allman, prosecuting, said that Goodwin had asked the 12 year old to meet and encouraged her to send lewd photos of herself.
The Lancashire Post reported Goodwin was close to tears and interrupted the court as explicit details of the case were read aloud.
Defending, Darren Lee Smith said: “He is supported in court by his family. You will have gathered from their reaction their disgust to these offences.”
Judge Robert Altham said: “One simply cannot ignore the fact there needs to be a deterrent effect of sentences such as this. People who trawl the internet looking for young children to abuse must be made to understand that for them, the internet is a dangerous place.”
