August 2023

Peterborough man sent ‘sexualised messages’ to person he thought was 14-year-old child

A man who sent sexualised messages to what he thought was a 14-year-old boy has been jailed.

Nicholas Owen, 31, started contacting the ‘boy’ on a dating app on September 6, 2021.

The boy, who was actually an adult, clearly stated he was 14 years old. Owen continued to contact him with increasingly sexualised messages.

During a six-week period, Owen sent numerous messages with sexualised questions and asked for indecent photos. He also tried to arrange to meet for sex.

He began sending messages on the dating app, then used his work phone for a day. Then Owen started contacting him from a new device.

Owen was identified through his employer, who one of the phones was registered to. The company were also able to confirm his movements referenced in some of the messages.

He was arrested on February 8 last year and went on to admit attempting to cause or incite a boy 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child

Owen, of Wainwright, Werrington, Peterborough, was jailed for 26 months at Peterborough Crown Court on Thursday (August 3). He was also given a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.