A young Woolston man, who arranged to meet a 13-year-old boy after sexualised chats, was in reality chatting online to an undercover police officer.
Ezra Sutcliffe was arrested by police when he turned up at the proposed rendezvous in Woolston and was found to have a tube of strawberry lubricant in his pocket.
He told officers, “We were just meeting. It was never my intention to do anything,” said Arthur Gibson, prosecuting.
The 24-year-old appeared in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday (Wed) for sentence after admitting attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to arrange the commission of a sex assault of a child.
But complications arose about his psychological state after a member of a mental health team based at the court, who interviewed him a few days previously, explained that his needs could not be met at a primary care level and a psychological report was needed.
The court heard that Rachel Martin, a member of a different mental health team at the court, had seen him earlier yesterday before the hearing and reported that he was not suitable for a mental health treatment order.
Judge Garrett Byrne said, “I find that a very difficult conclusion” and requested she attend the hearing to give an update. But a phone call revealed that she refused to come along.
“I wanted Miss Martin to come to the court to explain and she flatly refused to do so which I find to be extremely discourteous at least and unprofessional,” said Judge Byrne, who added he had reported the situation to the Recorder of Liverpool.
He ordered a psychological report be prepared including dealing with his mental age but warned Sutcliffe that they were serious offences and he “should take no comfort” in the fact he had ordered the report.
Sutcliffe, of Linden Close, Woolston, whose parents were present in court, was further remanded on bail until April 8.
Mr Gibson had told the court earlier that the defendant began talking to the undercover officer on November 21 last year on Grindr though then moved to Snapchat.
He gave his real age and said, “I’m guessing you are wanting to bottom” and asked which school he attended. He later arranged to meet the ‘boy’ near shops by Dam Lane.
“He said he wanted to take him to a park and ‘get you naked’. He asked if he was willing to do more than kiss.”
En route to the rendezvous the ‘boy’ asked if he could get a bottle of vodka and Sutcliffe said he had some at his home.
Philip Tully, defending, said that the offences only spanned two days and he described him as “a very vulnerable young man.”
He had suffered major trauma in his life and suffered from PTSD. He was “clearly not thinking straight” at the time of the offences and has lost his employment as a result of them.
