Gotcha! Newbury and Mortimer child sex predator Justin Hawkins snared by paedophile hunters
A “SINISTER” paedophile tried to groom a child online before sending vile, explicit videos of himself.
At his sentencing hearing the “manipulative” 54-year-old tried to convince a court he had no sexual interest in children.
But the lie prompted a devastating response from a district judge, who was having none of it.
In the dock at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Monday, May 12, was former car park manager and Primark employee Justin Hawkins.
He thought he was interacting with a young girl but was, in fact, engaging a decoy in a ‘sting’ operation by so-called paedophile hunters.
Lisa Mutch, prosecuting, said married father of two Hawkins told ‘Sophie’ that his wife was dead in an apparent effort to gain the child’s sympathy.
The 54-year-old, of Andover Road, Newbury, admitted trying to engage in sexual communication with a child in Mortimer on September 29 last year, sending videos of himself engaging in a sex act and encouraging her to do the same.
Hawkins told her he loved her and repeatedly begged her not to tell her mother about “our secret”.
He warned: “Don’t let her know – she won’t like it.”
Hawkins sent a video of himself engaging in a sex act and asked her for pictures of herself.
Ms Mutch said: “He used various terms to encourage her to engage in sexual activity.”
Hawkins even sent pornography and advised: “This is how you do it.”
He said he would like to meet her in person and added: “I’d love to show you how to have sex.
“I won’t hurt you – please don’t tell your mum.”
Hawkins’ defence counsel began by telling the court: “He would like to say that he isn’t attracted to children.”
This brought an immediate admonishment from district judge Davinder Sandhu, who said: “I can’t accept that; he knew she was a child from the outset.
“He knew who he was speaking to – it may be that he is in denial.”
The court heard Hawkins’ wife and children had disowned him and he had moved from the family home in Mortimer.
His counsel added: “He had started a job at Primark but was advised by police to resign because it was on the shop floor and there was a risk of children being present.”
She said her client was a man of previous good character who had gone on chat sites to ease the stress in his life.
Judge Sandhu said: “I’m told you’re ashamed - so you should be.
“The PSR [pre-sentence report] says you’ve tried to minimise your offending.
“It’s not tenable for me to sentence you on the basis you’re not attracted to children
“Everyone has stress in their lives – but not everyone becomes a paedophile, which is what’s happened here.
“People don’t just fall into sexual behaviour with children.”
Branding Hawkins’ behaviour “sinister” Judge Sandhu went on: “You said your wife was dead, perhaps in order to manipulate the child into feeling sorry for you and then into complying.”
Hawkins was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years.
In addition, he was required to complete 250 hours of unpaid community work.
Next, he was ordered to pay £85 costs, plus a statutory victim services surcharge of £187.
Finally, Hawkins was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register and made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
