James McKenna encouraged the girl to sneak out while her mum was sleeping, and offered to pay for a taxi to take her to his house
James McKenna, 34, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court(Image: Merseyside Police)
A man who sent lewd Snapchat messages to a 13-year-old girl and offered to buy her vapes, alcohol and drugs was “out of his mind” at the time.
James McKenna, 34, messaged the young girl asking “have you ever done anything with a girl or boy?” before telling her to start experimenting by performing a sex act on a friend. He told her “I would show you something, but I can’t” before being blocked by the youngster on the instant messaging app.
On another occasion, at around 3am, he again messaged the girl on Snapchat and encouraged her to sneak out while her mum was sleeping, Liverpool Crown Court was told. In the prosecution’s opening statement, Prosecutor Olivia Beesley said: “The defendant accepted that he sent these messages, but said he was ‘out of his mind’ and had asked others to come over, offering them items.
“The messages offered her money, vapes, alcohol and weed for her to sneak out of the house while her mum was sleeping. He offered to pay for a taxi to his house and encouraged her to sneak out, without being seen.
“She was then sent a series of messages saying ‘did u get out lol’ and ‘open snap, answer snap, are you still awake?’ He sent her a photograph on Snapchat of him holding his penis through his shorts.”
McKenna, of Dartmouth Drive, Bootle, denied two counts of sexual communications with a child, but was found guilty following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court last month. He appeared for sentence today, May 14.
Eve Salter, defending, said McKenna continued to maintain his innocence. She said: “He doesn’t have any relevant convictions. This is, in my submission, an isolated incident, although it took place over a period of time.
“There are a number of references… that show an entirely different side to the defendant, put forward by friends and family. It’s clear he does have a supportive network of friends and family around him who, while not condoning his behaviour, want to help him rehabilitate himself.”
She said McKenna had been abusing alcohol at the time of the offences, and he had since taken steps to address his addiction, seeking help from the Change Grow Live drugs and alcohol service.
Judge Brian Cummings said: “The child victim in this case was 13. There was a background of grooming behaviour as demonstrated in the evidence, for example you contacted her in the middle of the night, encouraging her to leave her home without being spotted by her mother, offering her vapes, alcohol and cannabis. All wildly inappropriate and potentially damaging behaviour which forms the background to these offences.
“Turning to the mitigation, I have read the pre-sentence report and it’s very much a mixed bag. There are some very negative factors which are quite rightly highlighted. On the other hand there are factors of mitigation which are fairly set out.
“I have considered the numerous character references. There are plainly a significant number of people who think well of you and there’s largely a better side to you than came across during the trial.
“I take account of the passage of time. [A number of] years have passed since these offences and there has been no further offending by you. On the other hand, I’m bound to observe that the very passage of that time, and the dragging out of these proceedings because of your denials, has itself added to the anxiety and that victim has suffered.
“It’s plain from the Victim Personal Statement that your offending has had a very serious negative effect on that child. I cannot say there is any remorse on your behalf. Remorse means being sorry for what you have done, and I cannot say that when you continue to deny what you have done.”
Sentencing McKenna to a total of 20 months in prison, he said: “These are serious offences. The fact of your denials meant the child victim had to be cross examined on your behalf, and of course the outcome of the trial was unknown until last month.
“If you have pleaded guilty it would have spared the victim and others the anxiety they had been left with. Against that background, where you have contested the offences, taken them to trial, and even after the guilty verdicts you have continued to deny to take responsibility. I’m afraid it’s a case where appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody. It might have been a different story if you had pleaded guilty, but you didn’t.”
He also made a 10 year sexual harm prevention order banning McKenna from having unsupervised contact with, or living with, girls under the age of 16, and made a 10 year restraining order banning him from contacting three people, including the victim.