Man persuaded girl, 12, to text photos
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard yesterday the 44-year-old businessman knew the girl, who was 32 years his junior.
Prosecutor Paul Spratt, said Webb was aware she was 12 years old when he began texting her.
He said the offending began after the girl was given a mobile phone by her dad in August 2007. When he received a bill the following month he noted a very large number of texts.
On closer examination he noticed his daughter had received 644 texts from the same phone and she had sent 746 texts to the same number.
Mr Spratt said: "It is clear from the text messages the defendant began communicating with the girl on matters they should not have done. They became increasingly intimate, including questions of a sexual nature, as to what she may have done, with who, and where.
"The defendant seemed increasingly keen to know information.
"He encouraged her to take photos of the lower part of herself, and when they did not arrive he texted her 'what, no pic yet?'.
"She took three photos of herself in the bathroom and sent them to the defendant.
He received them and sent a number of texts showing his obvious delight."
The girl's father reported his concerns to the police, and the girl told her mother what had been going on.
Webb, of Cedar Road, Crackley, was arrested.
He accepted that towards the end his relationship with the girl was inappropriate, but he did not accept he had been encouraging.
But he pleaded guilty last month to three charges of possessing indecent images of a child, and three charges of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Joanne Wallbanks, defending, said Webb has no previous convictions or cautions and has lost his good character.
She said: "He is highly thought of in the business community and this behaviour is out of character.
"He has not blamed the girl or denied having any problem.
"He wants to go on the sex offenders' programme.
He still cannot understand how he got himself into this situation."
Judge Paul Glenn told Webb: "She was naive and vulnerable.
"In a month you sent a 12-year-old 644 texts and rang her 41 times. Some of the texts were innocent, other texts you sent were completely disgusting. You pestered her to take indecent photos of herself and send them to you.
"This is a classic example of sexual grooming. You were obviously sexually attracted to her and seeking to have a sexual relationship with her. I am satisfied that was your ultimate intention."
Webb will serve up to half his sentence with the rest on licence. He will be on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.
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