Andrew Peters

Andrew Peters, aged 55 from St Nicholas in the Vale of Glamorgan, was convicted at Cardiff Crown Court for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity.

The case centred on Peters' online interactions that began when he added a decoy profile on Facebook using his business account. The decoy, whom he believed to be a 13-year-old girl named Millie, informed him of her age early in the conversation. Their communication soon shifted to WhatsApp, where Peters' messages turned sexually explicit. He sent a naked photograph of himself, an image of a woman's vagina, and a video depicting a woman masturbating. Furthermore, Peters encouraged the decoy to masturbate and requested that she send him naked photos of herself, before instructing her to delete their messages.

During the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, Judge Hywel James remarked that the decoy had not goaded Peters at any point, contrary to the defendant's claims made during his trial. Peters had expressed a desire to meet the 'girl' in the future, though no specific plans were made. The judge highlighted that Peters had sought to manipulate the decoy throughout their exchanges and showed no insight into his behaviour.

• Peters was previously cautioned by police in 2008 for possessing a pseudo-photograph of a child, after a work colleague sent him an inappropriate image of a baby with an adult penis superimposed as a 'joke'. This prior incident resulted in the loss of his reputation, employment, and family relationships, contributing to his low self-esteem and mental health decline.

In sentencing, Judge James imposed a term of 33 months' imprisonment on Peters. He was also subjected to indefinite sex offender notification requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The case was reported by Wales Online, with court correspondence from Philip Dewey, based on proceedings at Cardiff Crown Court.