Peterborough man jailed after sending explicit photo of himself to teenage girl
A Peterborough man sent a teenage girl an explicit photo of himself after befriending her online using a false profile photo.
Cambridgeshire police say that the online abuse by Mark Broom (47) of Hinchcliffe, Orton Goldhay, was discovered when the girl’s father checked her phone after noticing she had been using it more often.
A spokesperson said: “He noticed two chats, one on TikTok and one on WhatsApp, where he also found the explicit photo.
“The father contacted police, who seized the phone and traced it to Broom.
“The chats revealed Broom had said he was 18 and said he couldn’t wait to be with her.
The police spokesperson added: “The two profile photos did not show Broom but instead two different men, aged 18 to 22 – one of a model taken from social media.
“In police interview, Broom answered no comment to all questions about speaking to the girl, who was 14 at the time and does not live in Cambridgeshire.”
Brown admitted one charge of sending a photograph of his genitals to cause alarm, distress, or humiliation, on the day his trial was due to begin at Huntingdon Law Courts in December.
He was given a total of one year and seven months in prison when he.was sentenced at the same court on February 6.
Broom was also made the subject of a seven-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to monitor any further offending.
Afterwards, Detective Sergeant Mike Paget, from the force’s Online Child Abuse Safeguarding Team (OCAST), said: “The impact of Broom’s behaviour on his teenage victim should not be underestimated.
“In an impact statement given to the court, the girl’s parents shared how she was once a bright, bubbly, friendly, outgoing child, who had a positive outlook on life but has now become withdrawn, anxious, depressed and doesn’t have any drive for her future.
“Also importantly, as parents, they told how they have been left anxious of any and all interactions their children have on and offline, and are also now suspicious of new people.
“They concluded that their hearts have been left broken for the little girl who has been lost and replaced with a scared, angry, broken young woman.”
Det Sgt Paget said mobile phones and social media meant children could be vulnerable to those who preyed on their innocence and exploited their trust.
For more information and advice on how to keep your children safe online, visit Cambridgeshire police’s dedicated web page here.
Anyone who is concerned someone may have been convicted of a sex offence, and could be posing a risk, can apply for disclosure information through Sarah’s Law.