A Newport man who sent sexual messages and an explicit image to someone he believed was a 12-year-old girl has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Mark Skarratts, 39, of Commercial Street, was actually talking on Snapchat to an undercover officer from West Midlands Police who was posing as a child.
The sentence
Recorder Dyfed Llion Thomas, sitting at Cardiff Crown Court, imposed a 20-month prison term suspended for 18 months, meaning Skarratts was spared jail.
As part of the sentence, he must:
- complete 170 hours of unpaid work in the community
- comply with a probation requirement
- abide by a sexual harm prevention order
- pay a victim surcharge within three months
Skarratts had already registered as a sex offender before the hearing.
The offences
Skarratts, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to two offences:
- attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child
- attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child
The Snapchat chats
The offending took place between 16 and 21 February 2026.
Jac Brown, prosecuting, said Skarratts presented himself as a 28-year-old factory worker, although he was 38 at the time.
The court was told he asked the “girl” to “make me hard” before sending her an image of himself masturbating.
Arrest and interview
Gwent Police officers detained Skarratts in March 2026. He said sorry to them at the time of his arrest, but later answered “no comment” when questioned by detectives.
Mitigation
Gareth Williams, representing Skarratts, told the court his client owned a house and was in employment, and urged the judge to give him full credit for his guilty pleas.
Mr Williams said: “The defendant made a terrible decision and he’s brought shame upon himself.”
The judge’s remarks
Recorder Thomas was scathing about the defendant’s behaviour.
He told Skarratts: “These were despicable conversations – they were perverted and they were grotesque.
“You had a sexualised interest in a child and it’s about time you realised that and I am sentencing you on that basis.”
The judge went on: “You masturbated in front of a camera – you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself.
“You are, although not at a high level, a danger to children.”
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