Self-declared Gosport paedophile groomed 10-year-old girl by pretending he loved her in bid to meet for sex

Self-declared Gosport paedophile George Markey struck up an online chat with the pre-pubescent girl pretending he was aged 14 when he was in fact 24 – before attempting to lure her to have sex. The pervert showered the child with graphic messages and pictures while persuading her to send intimate material of herself.

READ NOW: Man arrested for taking child

Portsmouth Crown Court heard how Markey, who even declared to the girl he was a paedophile, started a conversation with her on the Wink application before it moved onto Snapchat. But the defendant was exposed after the girl’s father became suspicious over messages on her phone – having ‘taken a chance’ to give her a mobile device. ‘He thought she was mature enough and she would be able to know right from wrong,’ prosecutor Martyn Booth said.

After confronting his daughter, the dad decided to ‘smash up’ the phone to reinforce the wrongdoing. But still uneasy over his discovery the following day, he checked the phone again which was still working and phoned police who launched an investigation.

Mr Booth said Markey, of Savernake Close, started the online chat on September 26 which lasted until October 5. ‘She was 10 and he was 24 at the time. There were several chats before he started to ask for images and used grooming techniques,’ he said.

‘He referred to her as very pretty and declared his love for her and pretended to be 14 years of age. She said she was 10 so he was on notice of her age.

‘He asked for indecent images which she sent. He sent her [explicit] pictures. She shared her location and he asked to meet up for sex. She said she was too young for that and her parents were too strict.’

Messages read out to the court included Markey, now 25, paying compliments of a sexual nature to the girl.

Markey told the girl ‘I love you’ and said he was ‘very horny’ before she replied she ‘loved’ him too, Mr Booth said.

He then added: ‘Do you like talking to a paedo?’ The girl replied: ‘But you’re not a paedo.’ Markey responded: ‘I am.’

Jason Halsey, defending, said Markey admitted his crime straight away and was ‘ashamed’ after ‘destroying someone’s childhood’. Markey admitted a charge of sexual communication with a child.

SEE ALSO: Club attack sees man jailed for 10 years

Judge Michael Bowes KC said: ‘You pretended to be a 14-year-old who engaged a 10-year-old in explicit sexual communication. You sent her indecent images and sought indecent images from her.

‘You engaged in grooming behaviour with a view to meeting a very young and vulnerable child.’

He dubbed Markey, of previous good character, a ‘predatory paedophile’ but spared him jail after he accepted responsibility and made an immediate confession and had prospects of rehabilitation.

Markey was handed a 12-month sentence suspended for two years. He must complete an offender program, 30 rehabilitation days and 150 hours unpaid work. He was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

SEE ALSO: Man guilty of raping girl in van