A man sobbed in the dock as a court heard he had been found topless on the back seat of his car kissing a 15-year-old girl.
Jake Winn-Butler, now 25, arranged to meet the victim at Calderstones Park on September 4 last year after the two began talking over Snapchat. Liverpool Crown Court heard Winn-Butler, of Forefield Lane, Crosby, had been told the girl had turned 15 in February during their conversations.
Winn-Butler was later charged with engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a child and possessing a single indecent image of a child. He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.
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Louise McCloskey, prosecuting, said: "At around 9.30 in the evening officers on patrol in Calderstones Park observed a vehicle parked with its lights on. As they approached they could see condensation on the window.
"Inside was a male and female, later identified to be 15-years-old, in the rear seats. On closer observation the male, later identified to be this defendant, appeared to put his t-shirt on and climb into the driver's seat.
"The female was holding a jacket over her chest and also climbed into the front passenger seat of the vehicle. They were both questioned and the defendant said they were just kissing, and doing nothing wrong.
"The complainant gave a false date-of-birth, but checks revealed she was 15-years-old and the defendant was 24."
Ms McCloskey said the teenager told police she began talking to Winn-Butler on Snapchat and that he had told her he was 16. However the court heard Winn-Butler denied ever mentioning his age.
The court heard Winn-Butler became distressed and repeatedly told the officers "I'm sorry, I'm going to get arrested, I'm going to lose my job, this is going to ruin my life."
Ms McCloskey said as the police were speaking to both parties Winn-Butler repeatedly approached the car and said to the girl "I need to speak to you, I need to speak to you".
The girl's dad was called and took her home. The court heard that while the girl's parents agreed to hand over her phone for examination, they did not wish to engage with the prosecution and she did not provide any statement.
Winn-Butler was interviewed and told police the girl had sent him a picture of her bare breasts, which was recovered from his Snapchat account. Due to the girl's age, this picture resulted in a charge of possessing a Category C indecent image of a child.
Winn-Butler admitted he had kissed the girl despite knowing her age, and claimed it was a "moment of madness". Ms McCloskey said he told police the girl had been "very forward" and that he had "relented" and agreed to meet her. He added that he was not attracted to her and "would have stopped it if it went any further".
Andrew McInnes, defending, told the court his client was adamant he had never lied about his age during conversations with the girl. He said: "The defendant found it difficult to articulate why he would take such a risk and behave so inappropriately. He has an insight into the harm his behaviour could have had on the young person and her family."
Character references submitted to the court by his mum and dad, who sat in the public gallery in court, described Winn-Butler as a "model son" who had "never given his mum or dad a day of trouble". Judge David Aubrey, KC, passing sentence, noted that the letters described how since his arrest he had gone from "outgoing" to "sitting in his room with the lights off crying, evening after evening".
Judge Aubrey said: "You had contact with her via the Snapchat app. It may be that with respect to you joining that particular chat-room, that was your first error…
"You are an intelligent person. You received as I understand a first class degree, you're in employment and you have never been in any trouble whatsoever with the police. As one person who gave a reference put it, you have not even had a parking ticket.
"You are now aged 25 and you have the world at your feet, as one reference put it."
Judge Aubrey said that he was satisfied Winn-Butler acted in a "moment of madness" and had made a "wrong decision". He added: "This will be your first and last appearance in a courtroom."
Winn-Butler was sentenced to a 12 month community order, with requirements to complete 10 Rehabilitation Activity Days, and must sign the sex offenders' register for five years.