Grandfather sentenced over child spanking chat

A grandfather who discussed his spanking fetish with what he thought was a 12-year-old girl has been sentenced.

Nigel Holmes, 76, sent sexualised messages to a decoy profile run by online paedophile hunters, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Holmes, who claimed he was a retired teacher, admitted attempting to have sexual communications with a child and making indecent images of children.

He was made subject of an 18-month community order with a judge saying the offending meant he had deprived himself of seeing his own grandchildren.

Holmes, of The Signals in Widdrington, Northumberland, messaged a Facebook page on 18 July 2020, prosecutors said.

The profile picture showed a girl in school uniform but the account was run by an online safety group, the court heard.

The "girl" told Holmes she was 12 years old but he continued to chat to her on both Facebook and WhatsApp.

The messages took a sexual turn with Holmes claiming he was a retired school teacher who found spanking children arousing, the court heard.

He was arrested at his home in September 2020 with a search of his laptop revealing 41 images of children between the ages of three and 12 being spanked or caned, the court heard.

Recorder Alistair MacDonald KC said it was sad to see a man of Holmes' age who was of previous good character commit such offences.

He said Holmes could no longer see his own grandchildren, adding: "It is one of the joys in life and he has been deprived of that through his own behaviour."

Holmes was also made subject of a sexual harm prevention order limiting his use of internet-enabled devices and must sign the sex offenders registration, both for five years.

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