Cardiff Crown Court (Image: Wales Updates)
Last Updated: 2 minutes ago
A 60-year-old former special needs teacher has been spared jail after he contacted undercover police officers posing as 12-year-old schoolgirls and asked them to carry out solo sex acts.
David Skillern, now of Ysgwyddgwyn, Deri, in the Caerphilly county borough, was handed a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Cardiff Crown Court. He had no previous convictions.
Skillern pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and making indecent photographs of a child.
The sting operation
Skillern, formerly of Maesycwmmer near Blackwood, had contacted two online profiles he believed belonged to 12-year-old girls. Both were operated by undercover police officers and there were no real child victims.
He asked one of them if he could be her boyfriend and “older lover,” while telling the other “girl” he wanted to kiss her all over before performing oral sex on her.
What was said
Prosecutor Alex Orndal set out the nature of the online contact for the court.
“The defendant told ‘girl’ that he wanted to be a close friend,” Mr Orndal said.
“He suggested that he could be her boyfriend – he could be her older lover.
“The defendant asked her, ‘Are your boobs growing? Do you have hair on your p****?’
“He then asked her to rub her p****.”
Arrest and phone search
When police arrived at Skillern’s door, his response was: “I will lose my job. I will lose everything.”
Officers went on to examine his mobile phone and found child abuse images stored on the device.
The court heard Skillern has since lost his teaching position and that his wife is divorcing him.
Mitigation
Gareth Williams, representing Skillern, addressed the court on his behalf.
“This has caused devastation,” Mr Williams said. “The defendant has been humiliated and his entire life has been crushed.”
Pointing to his client’s previously clean record, he added: “There is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.”
Sentence
Recorder Ben Clarke told Skillern he would suspend his prison sentence.
Alongside the 16-month suspended term, he must complete 200 hours of unpaid work and a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
Skillern was ordered to register as a sex offender and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.
He must also pay £500 towards prosecution costs and a £187 statutory victim surcharge.
