The career of a Leicestershire children’s services team manager is in tatters after a covert police operation trapped him indulging in sexual chat with what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. But disgraced David Atkinson has escaped being jailed after pleading guilty at Warwick Crown Court to attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.
But disgraced David Atkinson has escaped being jailed after pleading guilty at Warwick Crown Court to attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.
Recorder Balraj Bhatia QC observed that as a team manager in Leicestershire County Council’s children’s services department, the 42-year-old ‘should have known better.’
Prosecutor Tim Sapwell said that in June 2019 Atkinson ‘began to engage in conversation on a chat platform set up by an undercover police officer.’
It began with Atkinson contacting a profile posted by the officer, saying ‘hi’ and asking whether she was ‘into older guys.’
Told the girl was only 13, he immediately asked for a picture of her and asked if she would like to see an image of his genitals.
Read full article here:
