William Horley, 47, of Marlborough, appeared at Swindon Magistrates Court earlier today after pleading guilty to sexual communications with a child.
He was sentenced to a community order of 18 months, ordered to carry out 40 days of rehabilitation activity, fined £3000, and ordered to pay £114 surcharge and £85 in costs.
Horley has also been put on the Sex Offenders Register for five years.
Between 12th and 19th March, 2024, Horley engaged in sexual conversations online with what he thought was a 14-year-old boy. During this investigation, there was never a real-life victim and no children were ever in any danger however Horley spoke about the sexual activity he would have with the boy and the sexual acts he wanted to carry out.
Detective Constable Jason Walsh from The Child Internet Exploitation Team said: “We often work in conjunction with other agencies, such as the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, to both protect children and ensure offenders are identified and arrested.
“The work we do undoubtedly prevents offenders like Horley from going on and abusing vulnerable children and I hope this case sends a strong message to our communities that we are committed to targeting serious offenders who have the potential to cause serious and significant harm.
“If you suspect someone of child sexual exploitation, please report it to us by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.
“You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
