Gotcha: ‘Paedophile hunters’ snare Hermitage man Alan Manston

A WOULD-BE child sex offender was shown leniency by a judge after being snared by so-called ‘paedophile hunters.’

Alan Manston thought he was luring a 14-year-old girl into sexual activity.

But, in reality, he was the prey.

The 36-year-old, of Eling, Hermitage, admitted intentionally communicating with a girl aged under 16 and encouraging her to engage in sexualised conversation in Thatcham between specific dates in February and June this year.

At an earlier hearing magistrates feared their own powers of imprisonment might be insufficient and so they committed the matter for sentence by a judge sitting at Reading Crown Court.

On Friday, November 15, prosecutor Jack Priest said Manston thought he was talking online to an innocent schoolgirl when he began trying to persuade her to engage in sexual acts.

He used phrases too graphic to publish even as the supposed victim reminded him repeatedly she was aged only 14.

Alan Walker, defending, pointed out his client had no relevant prior convictions and had been struggling with a drug addiction at the time.

He was remorseful, said Mr Walker, and suitable for rehabilitation in the community.

Mr Priest had applied for a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to protect children from Manston’s actions in future.

But Judge Keith Cutler said he personally disagreed with Sentencing Council guidelines concerning so-called ‘decoy’ cases.

He told Manston, who was smartly dressed in the dock in a three-piece suit: “I accept your remorse and your almost inability to look at what you said to this person.

“You behaved appallingly - you thought she was aged 14 and what you said was wrong and clearly inappropriate.

“We’re pleased it didn’t come to anything.”

He also told Mr Priest: “This was an attempt, not a real person.

“It seems to me that, if it’s a real person there’s [a prospect of] real harm - but when there’s a decoy I don’t think it’s actually very fair [to treat the offence in the same way].

“I know he thinks it was a girl aged 14 but we know it wasn’t - the harm falls away.

“There isn’t any real harm, the harm is gone.

“But that’s not really reflected enough in the Sentencing Guidelines.

“That’s my personal view, but there we are.

“It’s very fortunate that he was interrupted and it all came to nothing.”

Judge Cutler refused the prosecution request to make Manston subject to a SHPO.

Neither did he impose a custodial sentence, either immediate or suspended.

Manston was instead made subject to a two-year community order and required to complete 150 hours of unpaid community work.

No order was made for costs because of Manston’s apparent lack of means.

However he was ordered to pay a statutory victim services surcharge of £114.

Finally, he was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for five years.

Judge Cutler told Manston to refrain from re-offending and said: “I’m quite confident you’ll give it your best shot.

“What you must do, please, is not communicate with anyone who says they’re a child.

“You must be very careful about that but I don’t feel we need the extra teeth of [a SHPO].

“It seems to me it would be wrong in this case.”