George Michael Casson, a 30-year-old resident of Monk Monton, a village west of York in North Yorkshire, England, was sentenced at York Crown Court for engaging in sexual communication with a child. The offence, which occurred several years prior to the sentencing, involved Casson using an online chat site intended for children aged 13 to 17 to meet and manipulate a young girl.
Casson employed sophisticated manipulative techniques, including emotional blackmail, to coerce the victim into sending him sexual images of herself. He posed as a 16-year-old boy, a gang leader, and even his own brother to gain her trust and compliance. In one instance, he falsely claimed that a baby would die unless she provided the images, fabricating the existence of the infant to pressure her. Additionally, Casson exhibited a sexual fetish for socks and shoes, requesting pictures of the girl's socks and those of other children. He saved her phone number in his device under the derogatory title 'stupid girl', highlighting the exploitative nature of his actions.
The victim's mother became suspicious of her daughter's distress and persuaded her to hand over her phone, revealing the disturbing messages from Casson. She promptly contacted local police, who escalated the matter to North Yorkshire Police. The investigation was led by Detective Constable Bradley Bodfield, who described Casson's behaviour as showing 'not a shred of remorse' for the 'terrible effect' on the victim. Bodfield expressed hope that the sentencing would aid the girl in rebuilding her life.
In a personal statement read to the court, the victim detailed the profound impact of Casson's actions: 'He was an adult who exploited me for his own gratification. He stole years of my childhood when I should have been enjoying life with my friends and family. I only hope he is never able to harm another child in the way he has harmed me.' She further explained that the abuse led to a loss of trust in men and resulted in mental illness.
Prosecutor Jennifer Gatland outlined the case, noting the manipulative techniques used over several weeks. Casson pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual communication with a child. However, the judge expressed frustration with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for undercharging him with only one offence, despite Casson using three distinct online personas, which could have allowed for a longer sentence of at least three years. Instead, he was jailed for 19 months. The judge remarked, 'You have made this girl’s life a misery. It is galling to have to pass the sentence I have got to pass,' and criticised the delay in bringing the case to court, attributed to the original investigating officer leaving North Yorkshire Police and issues with forensic examination of Casson's phone.
Casson, who represented himself in court, offered no statement when given the opportunity, simply replying 'Nowt, nope.' In addition to the custodial sentence, he was placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and subjected to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration. This order restricts his internet use, prohibits contact with any child under 16, bans him from staying in the same house as a child, and allows police to monitor his online activities. Casson had a prior conviction for participating in a street mugging of a wedding guest near the Jorvik Viking Centre in York, for which he had previously served a prison sentence.
The case was reported by The York Press, with court reporting by Megi Rychlikova. The Press approached the CPS for comment on the undercharging but no response was detailed in the article.