A 40-year-old Portadown man who asked a 14-year-old girl – who he believed was his girlfriend – to “join him naked in the shower,” has walked free from court.
Kevin Christy, with an address in Park Road, was handed a three-year Probation Order at Craigavon Crown Court on Friday for attempting to sexually communicate with a child.
The defendant, who expressed “deviant sexual interests” was arrested as a result of a paedophile hunter sting earlier this year.
The court heard that on Friday, April 12, police were called to his home on Park Road, where a group, estimated to be between 100- 120 people, had congregated outside.
Police were informed that a group calling themselves ‘Warriors of Children’ had evidence that Christy had been engaging in sexual conversations with what he believed to be a young female called, Louise, but who, in fact, was a fake profile on social media created by an adult female.
A pack of printed screenshots pertaining to the conversations between Christy and the fake profile were provided to police, and he was arrested.
He made no reply and his mobile phone was seized.
In the chats, Louise explicitly presented herself as a 14-year-old girl, referencing both her school and her youth club.
Christy referred to her as “his girlfriend” and stated that “he loved her”.
He asked her to “join him naked in the shower” and told her “he was playing with himself” and was, in his words, “horny”.
He also requested photos of her and sent a photograph of himself which, Her Honour Judge McColgan, said she had seen.
As well as making clear her age, Louise presented herself as “naive on any sexual matter that was raised” but Christy “persisted in messaging”.
The chats took place over an 11-month period between May 2023 and April 2024.
At interview, Christy indicated that he had deleted his Facebook, WhatsApp and Snapchat accounts and claimed that he had a short memory, and that he had attended a special needs school.
The court heard that although he had no previous convictions, he was subject to restorative caution for giving alcohol to a child in May 2023.
Judge McColgan referenced the “large disparity in ages between the defendant and his victim, Louise”, and that there was a “persistence in that it occurred over a page period of 11 months”.
The judge also said that while there were no issues Christy’s mental health he had significant physical ailments.
She added: “It is clear that the defendant’s alcohol intake had significantly increased during the relevant period. He was socially isolated. He has no sexual experiences throughout his life….the defendant stated that he had heard voices in his head and he felt confused and he couldn’t recall.”
Christy persisted with the narrative that he believed the person he was speaking to was over 18 years of age.
“That is in spite of the fact that the person was clearly talking about school and youth club,” said the judge.
“He also expressed some concern or some feelings that he felt victimised in the case and then trapped by virtue of the fact that this is a decoy case.”
A Probation report identified the following as areas of concern, namely, “relationship capacity, general social rejection, poor problem solving skills, sexual preoccupation and deviant sexual interests”.
“He was socially isolated within the community and the internet gave him an opportunity to socialise,” the judge continued.
“He has little or no sexual experience and finds it difficult to engage in any such discussion. The defendant has found his remand period in prison, particularly tough, and has experienced bullying and isolation within the prison regime.”
Judge McColgan said a custodial sentence of 12 months would mean Christy would walk free from court, given his six and a half months on remand, but would leave him with just six months to spend with Probation.
Instead, she ordered the sentence to be one of three years on Probation as he “is a defendant who clearly needs the input and support of Probation services for a period in excess of six months”.
The judge also expressed concerns about his accommodation.
Christy’s defence barrister said he was expected to move back home with mum and it is “their intention for them to move elsewhere”.
Judge McColgan said it was “of some concern that there’s nowhere else for him to go right now”.
Christy was also made subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) for five years.
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