A MAN who sent sexual messages to a 15-year-old girl claimed this conduct took place in a “moment of madness” and they were “wholly innocent remarks”.

Stephen William Rose, 52, was found guilty of a single charge of sexual communication with a child following a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Judge Jonathan Fuller KC said he accepted it was a one-off incident for the defendant, who had no previous convictions.

At a sentencing hearing on Friday, March 31, Judge Fuller KC told Rose: “It was one for which you are now deeply ashamed and embarrassed and remorseful.”

The court heard the defendant, of Parkstone, Poole, sent the girl a series of messages over around a three-hour period on a single day in June last year after he obtained her number without her knowledge.

In the first text he wrote “keep it a secret between us”. In in subsequent messages he complimented her eyes, said her boyfriend was lucky to have her and he made reference to wishing he was 20 years younger and if he was he would “definitely” be relaxing in her bed.

The girl reported the matter and police arrested Rose.

In interview, he told officers there had been a “moment of madness”.

He had said they were “wholly innocent remarks” and not sexual but the judge said this was “quite rightly rejected” by the jury.

Rose had destroyed any trace of the messages from his phone, the court heard. Judge Fuller KC said this might have possibly have been to avoid detection but added it could be “more out of shame and embarrassment as well”.

“It is regrettable that your recognition of what you had done did not lead to admitting the offence at an earlier stage,” the judge said.

Bournemouth Echo:

Mitigating, Philomena Murphy said Rose, who had resigned from his job of nearly 20 years before he was asked to leave, had an insight on the impact his actions had on the complainant.

Ms Murphy said: “What is clear is that the positive that came out of the trial he accepts his responsibility for his actions and he does not offer any excuses but one would hope that the courts see this as a very, very bad error of judgement that has had many consequences for him but he doesn’t neglect the fact it has consequences for the complainant.”

Rose received an 18-month community order, with a requirement to take part in up to 30 rehabilitation activity days. He was also ordered to pay £1,000 costs and he was placed on the sex offenders register for five years.

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