Clacton man sentenced for sending sexual messages to kids

Adam Scriven faced two charges of attempts to engage in sexual communication with a child, which took place in 2023. 

The 25-year-old appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday were it was heard he had been caught out by his partner while using Snapchat. 

After he was caught, he tried to delete the chats, of which there are believed to have been 13 at the time, but his partner managed to take pictures of some of the chats. 

His chat partners, who have not been identified, told Scriven they were aged 11 and 12. 

The court heard the messages, which were sent in March last year, were of a sexual nature. 

Scriven had posed as a 14-year-old and a 17-year-old. 

Fred Batstone, mitigating, said that Scriven had been in a bad state when he committed the offences. 

He said: “He feels a great deal of shame being in court for this type of offending or any type of offending.” 

Following the discovery by his partner, who ultimately reported the incident to Essex Police, he left the family home as well as his young son and lost his job. 

Mr Batstone said seeing his life fall apart on the day of his arrest was “punishment enough” and that he acknowledged the harm his messages had on children. 

Scriven admitted to both offences. 

Judge Daniel Sawyer called the defendant's actions “troubling to read” as he passed his sentence. 

He said: “When you were challenged by your partner, you deleted the chats but your partner managed to photograph some of these chats. 

“Your explanation is you were lonely and bored. You are downplaying the seriousness of your offending. 

“You deliberately sought out young girls.” 

Scriven, of St Johns Road, received a sentence of eight months imprisonment suspended for 24 months, as well as the order to take part in an accredited programme and 30 days of rehabilitation activity. 

Judge Sawyer also imposed a sexual harm prevention order lasting ten years, which he deemed “necessary and proportionate”.