In 2019, the Offender Database reported that Curtis Bishop, then 20, of Elliott Drive, Wellesbourne, Warwickshire, was sentenced at Warwick Crown Court for engaging in sexual communication with a child. Bishop, who was 18 at the time of the offences, targeted a 13-year-old schoolgirl via social media apps Snapchat and Facebook. The investigation by Warwickshire Police was initiated in December 2017 after the victim’s older sister became concerned about the girl’s interactions with older teenagers and reported her concerns to their mother.
The court heard horrendous details of the digital grooming, which included Bishop sending a picture of himself in his boxer shorts and repeatedly asking the child for sexual pictures of her body. He also vilely sent messages asking the 13-year-old for sex, to which she bravely refused. Despite the explicit nature of his predatory requests, Bishop maintained a deplorable denial during police interviews, claiming he did not have a sexual interest in the girl or an attraction to children of her age.
During the sentencing, Judge Anthony Potter reported that Bishop’s refusal to admit his sexual attraction to minors made him a “high risk” for committing further sexual offences in the future. The defence argued that Bishop was immature for his age and highlighted the support of his foster parents. However, the prosecution emphasised the serious and vicious nature of targeting a 13-year-old for sexual gratification, noting that the messages were “quite inappropriate” and a clear attempt to exploit a child in Wellesbourne, Warwickshire.
As a result of his conviction for sexual communication with a child, Curtis Bishop was handed a three-year community order. He was ordered to complete a specialised sex offender programme, 120 days of unpaid work, and a rehabilitation activity requirement. He is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Warwickshire Police, remaining under intensive supervision to protect the public. Any further predatory digital activity or breach of his order in Wellesbourne or elsewhere will result in his immediate arrest and return to court for re-sentencing.
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