Connor Askew, aged 25, of Mitchell Avenue, Workington, Cumbria, was sentenced to three and a half years’ imprisonment at Carlisle Crown Court after being found guilty of attempting to facilitate a child sex offence and distributing an indecent image of a child.
The court heard that between mid-December 2018 and late January 2019, Askew engaged in regular online communications with an individual he believed shared a sexual interest in children, who was in reality an undercover police officer. During their conversations, the undercover operative referenced babysitting a four-year-old child. Askew asked if the child had been subjected to sexual abuse and, upon receiving an affirmative response, sent an image of a male sex organ.
Two days later, Askew transmitted an indecent Category B child image depicting the sexual abuse of a baby.
Askew subsequently formulated a plan to meet the contact at a hotel so they could jointly sexually abuse the four-year-old child, stating in one message: “I’d love to play.”
During his trial at Carlisle Crown Court, Askew claimed he held no sexual interest in children and asserted that the proposed hotel meeting was an effort to expose a paedophile. The jury rejected his defence and convicted him on all counts.
Appearing before Carlisle Crown Court, Askew was convicted of:
- One count of attempting to facilitate a child sex offence
- One count of distributing an indecent image of a child
The presiding judge sentenced Askew to a total custodial sentence of three and a half years.
For the latest updates and offender details, follow us on the UK Register Database Facebook Page. If you or anyone you know has been affected by the individuals highlighted on this website, please report them to the Police on 101 (999 in an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details on how to report a crime. You can also report to Crimestoppers if you wish to remain completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.