A MAN has been found guilty of arranging with who he thought was the mother of a seven-year-old girl and a 10-month-old baby to sexually abuse the girls.
Carl Martin, 36, of Cilmaengwyn Road in Cilmaengwyn, was charged with two offences of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sexual offence.
It was alleged that Martin arranged with a mother – who was actually an undercover police officer – to engage in sexual activity with her seven-year-old and 10-month-old daughters.
Martin denied the offences.
Following two days of evidence, the jury found Martin guilty by majority verdict of each offence.
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Prosecutor Hannah George told the jury that Martin contacted the undercover officer’s account online on January 31.
“The conversation was sexual from its inception,” Ms George said.
“[The officer] told him that it wasn’t her on offer and asked the defendant what his preferences were. He told her he was open and for her to try him.
“[The officer] told the defendant she had two daughters, one aged seven years old and one 10-month-old baby.”
Ms George said that when the decoy told Martin that she “liked to watch”, the defendant “saw that as an invitation” and asked if she was free later.
“He asked her who she wanted him to take first,” Ms George said.
Referring to one of the girls, Martin said he “wanted her to sit on his lap and straddle him”, and promised “he would leave no marks on her”.
The defendant was arrested on February 1 and gave a prepared statement denying the conversation was sexual.
He stated he did not have a sexual interest in children and that the conversation was “only about normal activities such as playing games in the playground”.
Officers seized “a number of electronic devices”, though nothing relevant was found on these.
Solomon Hartley, for Martin, said the defendant stopped the conversation as he “thought it was odd” and he “wasn’t going to get an innocent relationship out of this woman”.
He told the jury the conversation was taking place whilst Martin was at work, and it didn't occur to him that the messages were sinister.
“He wasn’t dissecting the messages. This was a back and forth conversation,” he said.
“Why on earth could, to him sat at work, these messages be a woman offering up her young children.
“It’s not suggested that this man, who actively raised his own children, has a sexual interest in children and has been seeking out children to abuse.
“Perhaps you can criticise Mr Martin for being naïve.”
Following the guilty verdicts, Judge Geraint Walters ordered a pre-sentence report.
Martin was remanded in to custody, and will be sentenced on August 29.
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