March 2020

Man asked ‘girl of 12’ to send him indecent photos of herself

A paedophile sent an indecent photo to a 12-year-old girl and encouraged her to do the same in return.

Derby Crown Court heard that over the space of two weeks Jamie Bannocks exchanged messages with the girl over the internet and told her to keep their online conversations secret. The “girl” was, in fact, an undercover police officer.

Since the revelations about his offending came to light, the 29-year-old father of two’s marriage has broken down.

Handing him a 12-month jail term, suspended for two years, Judge Shaun Smith QC said: “You knowingly communicated with someone you thought was a 12-year-old girl. You entered into a disgusting sexual exchange with her . . . and you carried on doing that over a period of time. But you were caught because the child was actually a police officer.

“I accept that since then you have sought help from various organisations and I don’t think it is an understatement to say your life has now hit rock bottom. You have lost your marriage and your contact with your two children is through supervision.”

Mark Achurch, prosecuting, said the offending took place over a fortnight last summer. At the time Bannocks lived in Crich with his wife and two children and began to use chatrooms when alone.

Mr Achurch said he began communication with a girl who told him she was 12. Within a short space of time Bannocks started to make sexual remarks to her and within days had sent her an intimate photo of himself.

Mr Achurch said: “He was arrested at his address in Crich when his wife and two children were present and in interview he made full and frank admissions as to what he had been doing.”

Bannocks, now of Swingate, Kimberley, admitted intentionally communicating with a child aged 12 for purposes of sexual gratification and attempting to incite a 12-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity. The offending took place between August 13 and 28.

As well as the suspended sentence, Judge Smith told Bannocks to do 180 hours’ work and attend an accredited sex offenders’ program and placed him on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.