Kettering paedophile jailed after sending sick pictures to '12-year-old girl'

A paedophile sent naked pictures of himself to what he thought was a 12-year-girl – unaware he was actually speaking to an undercover police officer.

Gary Taylor questioned whether the ‘girl’ was setting him up but still called her to ask if she liked the sick images and discuss sex acts.

Over the course of a month the truck driver had sent numerous sexual messages over WhatsApp and Kik but denied it when he was arrested at his home in Kettering.

On Thursday (January 12) the 52-year-old was jailed for 25 months after admitting four offences.

Northampton Crown Court heard Taylor, who has since moved to Grangetown in Middlesbrough, first made contact with the profile in January 2020. The profile made clear that it was of a 12-year-old girl.

Prosecutor Alice Aubrey-Fletcher said Taylor messaged to say he was naked apart from a towel before asking what she was wearing.

He later sent a vile picture of himself and said: “Do you like my ****?”

Taylor, who has previous convictions for offences including assault, then asked the ‘girl’ what he ‘should do with it’.

The court heard the messages continued into February when Taylor asked for a picture and sent more lewd images.

One message said: "Just for you, trying to imagine what you look like in a short skirt and black tights."

On February 14 he asked the ‘girl’ what she was doing and said they could have chatted on the phone – with the undercover police officer suggesting he could sneak off on his break for a call.

Taylor replied: "You are not setting me up are you?"

He went on to say he was feeling nervous, worried she might be from the police, but passed on his number and the officer called that lunchtime.

Ms Aubrey-Fletcher said that Taylor asked the ‘girl’ if she liked the pictures and said he was taking off his boxer shorts before asking what he should do.

When he was arrested in May he denied the offences, claiming his Kik account was no longer active.

Ms Aubrey-Fletcher said: "He told police that he had never knowingly engaged in sexual communication with a child."

Taylor said excerpts of the messages made him feel sick and that he couldn’t recall the phone call, but couldn’t rule it out if he was drunk.

Mitigating, Tabitha Buck said Taylor was vulnerable to bouts of depression and had a serious alcohol problem but had taken steps to reduce the amount he consumes.

She said a prison sentence would mean he would lose his home.

She said: "He is completely disgusted in himself. He finds it abhorrent and he could not believe that he has done this."

Sentencing, His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo said the conversations had an element of grooming and told Taylor he wouldn’t have suspended his prison sentence even if he could.

He said: "The probation report makes it plain you have no understanding of the impact your actions would have on a child victim."

Taylor will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years, restricting his use of devices, and will be on the register for sex offenders for 10 years.