The Jaguar Land Rover worker believed he was chatting to a 13-year-old girl in a series of lewd messages
Paul Smith(Image: Merseyside Police)
A dad with “another side” sent a picture of his bum to an undercover police officer he believed was a 13-year-old girl. Paul Smith engaged in a series of lewd chats on Snapchat and messaging app Kik, telling the supposed teenager that he “had a thing for bad girls”.
But, unbeknown to him, he was being caught in an online sting by a decoy profile. A judge has now told the Jaguar Land Rover worker, who was previously caught with a collection of indecent images of children, that he has thrown away his “chance to change”.
Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, that Smith contacted a Kik profile being operated by undercover police on August 17 2023. The 39-year-old, of Herbert Taylor Close in Tuebrook, began his messaging by saying “hey, ASL please”, a request for their age, sex and location.
Nardeen Nemat, prosecuting, described how he was told that he was speaking to a 13-year-old girl from London, where he stated he was also based. Over the course of around a month, Smith would go on to tell her that she was “hot”, “very sexy”, “gorgeous” and a “little tease”.
He also asked the so-called teen whether she was a virgin and if her mum knew she was talking to him, adding that he “had a thing for bad girls” and “asking if she was one”. After the conversation continued on Snapchat, the pervert asked her for “naughty little pics” and sent a photograph of his backside.
Smith was previously convicted of possession of indecent images of children and extreme pornographic images in 2016, receiving a suspended prison sentence and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. His last brush with the law came in November 2023 for a breach of this SHPO, receiving a 16-week imprisonment suspended for a year after deleting the messaging history of his Kik account.
Ken Heckle, defending, told the court that his client had sought support from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity which works to prevent child sexual abuse. On the topic of whether his client was sexually attracted to children, he added: “This defendant has difficulty discussing it. When he is sober, hard working and going about his normal business, he does not consider himself to be that type of person.
“When he is depressed and drinking, obviously another side to Paul Smith comes out. He does not like to think that he is 100 per cent that. He knows that he needs help.
“He still has a job. He is, at the moment, working three-and-a-half days at Jaguar Land Rover. His wife is totally flummoxed as to his behaviour, but is doing everything right by the children and social services.
“There are a lot of building blocks for this defendant to continue to be rehabilitated. He is doing all he can to ensure that things like this do not happen again.”
Smith admitted attempted sexual communications with a child and four counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. Appearing in the dock wearing a navy blue suit and glasses, he nodded as he was jailed for 20 months.
Sentencing, Judge David Potter said: “Whatever rehabilitation work was undertaken clearly did not have the desired long term impact. Seven years later, you were engaging in sexual communications with a person you believed to be 13 years of age.
“In the pre-sentence report, like many others, you deny that you have any sexual interest in children. Both I and the probation officers find that hard to believe.
“You do not now challenge that you must have gained some gratification from the communications with this 13-year-old. You have been seeking help from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.
“You are currently in work. You have strained relationships now with your family. You have struggled with substance misuse, latterly in relation to alcohol – which is still a feature of your life.
“It is clear that your mental health has suffered significantly over the years and that you are often left feeling suicidal. Having been given a chance to change, you reverted back to seeking sexual gratification from offending against children.”
Smith was also handed a 15-year sexual harm prevention order. He will be required to sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.