Wakefield pervert who wanted 'phone fun' with underage girl told to accept being a paedophile
A convicted paedophile who maintains he has no interest in children has been ordered up to face up to his sick interests.
The judge made the comments to Robert Sheridan, who appeared at Leeds Crown Court this week and admitted attempting sexual communication with a child.
Sheridan, 47, has previous convictions for child-abuse offences including a previous attempt to communicate with a child, and making indecent images of children.
He was jailed for 10 months for his latest offence, appearing in court via video link from HMP Leeds where he was being held on remand.
The court heard that Sheridan, of Ringwood Way, Hemsworth, had contact with a supposed 14-year-old girl in an online chat room in November of last year.
The profile was run by an undercover officer, and early in the conversation he was told her age.
Sheridan turned the chat sexual and asked her if she wanted “phone fun”, “sexy chat” and told her he would make her “orgasm”.
His IP address was traced and he was arrested and confessed that he was addicted to being online, but then refused to answer questions during his official police interview.
He has four previous convictions for nine offences, and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) already for his child-sex offences.
Mitigating, James Littlehales said: “An immediate custodial sentence is inevitable, bearing in mind his record.
“He accepts he will go to custody and will use that time wisely.”
He said his family was aware of his offending and he was due to be married later this year. He said Sheridan was “remorseful for his actions”.
But Judge Robin Mairs had choice words for the defendant.
He said: “Your addiction problem is not going online, it’s that you have a sexual interest in children.
“You are a paedophile who repeatedly offends. It could not have been clearer to you that it was a child.
“You deny an interest in children. It’s clearly a lie.”
He will remain on the sex offender register and on his SHPO.