In 2017, the Offender Database recorded that Joshua Sean Parker, then 20, of Sutton Court, Devonport, Plymouth, had his prison sentence for preying on young girls reduced following an appeal. Parker originally appeared at Plymouth Crown Court in March 2017, where it was reported that he used fake Facebook accounts to target girls as young as 12. The court reported that his predatory behaviour included sending sexually explicit messages and grooming a 15-year-old for sex.
The investigation established that Parker’s “sordid” activities involved several young victims during early 2016. Devon and Cornwall Police reported that one 12-year-old girl received a video call showing Parker masturbating, while a 14-year-old girl met him for physical contact. The prosecution reported that Parker also had sex with a 15-year-old victim on more than one occasion in Plymouth, Devon.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Parker’s actions were not a singular incident but part of a calculated element of grooming. Plymouth Crown Court heard how he pleaded guilty to five offences, including sexual activity with a child and causing a child to watch a sexual act. However, the Court of Appeal in London later ruled that the original sentence of six years and four months was “manifestly excessive,” citing Parker’s own age at the time of the offences and a psychological assessment indicating anxiety and depression.
Judge Mark Lucraft QC noted that while the grooming was serious, the sentencing judge should have given more weight to Parker’s mental health and the age proximity between him and one of his victims. For his actions in Plymouth, Devon, Parker’s sentence was slashed to five years in a young offenders’ institution. The judge noted that the revised term still reflected the gravity of his predatory focus on underage girls.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Joshua Parker was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: Five years (Reduced on appeal from six years and four months).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements were activated for life.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Plymouth Crown Court; appeal heard at the Court of Appeal.
- Criminal Record: Convicted of sexual activity with a child and sending indecent communications.
- Origin: Sutton Court, Devonport, Plymouth, Devon.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Parker is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Devon and Cornwall Police and the prison estate. Due to his history of using fake social media accounts to “hunt down” young girls in Devonport, Plymouth, his management is subject to high-level oversight by the Public Protection Unit.
As a member of the Sex Offenders Register, Parker must comply with notification requirements regarding his identity and residence for the remainder of his life. Authorities state that his history of sending explicit media and grooming children via Facebook necessitates permanent and stringent monitoring of his conduct and digital access. Any further sexual misconduct or breach of his licence conditions in Plymouth, Exeter, or elsewhere will result in immediate arrest and a return to custody for the remainder of his term.
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