Cardiff paedophile sent sexual messages to police decoys

A Cardiff man with previous convictions for sexual offences against children made sexual comments to undercover police officers he believed were 13-year-old girls.

Jean-Paul Sterckx, 49, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment in 2015 for sexual offences against a child and for possessing indecent images. He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which required him to allow his devices to be monitored by the authorities.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday heard Sterckx took part in sexualised conversations with who he believed to be 13-year-old girls, but were in fact officers from the Metropolitan Police.

The defendant had used the Kik and Snapchat apps to contact the decoys in 2022, and asked if the chats were secret. He sent one of them a photo of his groin, while wearing workman’s trousers, and asked the decoy: “Are you into naughty fun?”

Prosecutor Alex Greenwood said Sterckx sent an image of himself in his underwear, and asked a sexualised question. He asked to see the “girl” in her underwear and asked her: “What’s the naughtiest thing you have done?” He also asked her about masturbation.

The conversation with the first decoy came to an end when he attempted to engage in a video call with her.

He asked the second decoy if she “spoke dirty”, and if she liked “flirting” with older men. Sterckx also asked her if she was “into pics” and if she was “still a V”, meaning a virgin. He asked the third decoy to send him a photograph, and engaged in further sexual conversations.

When he was arrested, Sterckx told officers: “This is going to kill my father.” He told his children: “Sorry, I’ve done it again, you’ll have to be strong for each other.” He later told police his “phone had been hacked”.

Sterckx, of Watkiss Way, Grangetown, later pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and breaching a SHPO.

In mitigation, Martha Smith-Higgins said her client was “thoroughly ashamed” of his behaviour, but described him as a “hard working and caring man” who had set up his own maintenance company.

Recorder Christopher Felstead sentenced Sterckx to 20 months imprisonment, suspended for two years. The defendant was also made subject to an accredited programme requirement, unpaid work, a SHPO for 10 years and ordered to pay costs of more than £1,300.