Werrington man who sent sexual messages to '14-year-old boy' on dating app jailed after being caught out by employer

A Peterborough man, who sent sexualised messages to who he thought was a 14-year-old boy, has been jailed.

Nicholas Owen, 31, started contacting the ‘boy’ on a dating app, on 6 September 2021.

The boy, who was actually an adult, clearly stated he was 14 years old, but Owen continued to contact him with increasingly sexualised messages.

During a six-week period, Owen sent numerous messages with sexualised questions, asked for indecent photos and tried to arrange to meet for sex.

He began sending messages on the dating app, then used his work phone for a day before he started contacting him from a new device.

Owen was identified through his employer, which one of the phones was registered to.

The company were also able to confirm his movements referenced in some of the messages.

He was arrested on 8 February last year and went on to admit attempting to cause or incite a boy 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

On 3 August at Peterborough Crown Court, Owen, of Wainwright, Werrington, Peterborough, was jailed for 26 months. He was also given a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

DC Anoeska Langford said: “Luckily on this occasion the victim turned out to be an adult. They clearly stated they were 14 years old, but this did not deter Owen who persisted with sexualised messages and seemed determined to meet.

“Protecting the county’s children from predatory behaviour is one of our priorities and we will continue to do all we can to bring offenders before the courts.”