Michael Walker told the ‘girl’ that he “wanted to see her on the toilet” and further that he wanted to see the girl defecate
Michael Walker had been set to appeal the jail sentence handed down to him earlier this year, after the 60-year-old entered guilty pleas to two charges of attempted sexual communication with a child under 16 between 20-30 March last year.
Defence counsel Stephen Law told Judge Philip Gilpin however, the appeal was now being withdrawn “so I would invite the court to affirm the sentence of the lower court.”
Accordingly, the County Court judge, sitting in Antrim, ordered that Walker’s appeal be marked as dismissed and the four-month sentence affirmed.
When Walker was originally sentenced last June, District Judge Nigel Broderick questioned why the PPS had opted to keep the case in the Petty Sessions where the maximum sentence was just six months.
Michael Walker when he was ‘stung’ by paedophile hunters
News in 90 seconds – September 2nd
Expressing his surprise at the PPS opting not to elevate the case to the Crown Court, the judge highlighted that he had no powers to refuse jurisdiction in this particular case.
“In my view, especially given the facts of this particular case, it should really have been prosecuted in the Crown Court where sentencing powers are greatly enhanced,” said the judge.
The charges disclose that “for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification [he] intentionally attempted to communicate with a person under 16 years, the communication being sexual or intended to encourage the said person to make a communication that was sexual, and you did not reasonably believe that she was 16 years or over.”
The court heard at the time how members of an online paedophile hunter group alerted police to messages Walker had sent to their decoy.
Believing he was messaging a 12-year-old girl, Walker sent her videos and images of his private parts as well as a video of him urinating.
He also told the ‘girl’ that he “wanted to see her on the toilet” and further that he wanted to see the girl defecate.
“He said that she could **** on his **** to turn him on,” said the lawyer, revealing that Walker also asked her whether she knew how to masturbate.
Michael Walker when he was ‘stung’ by paedophile hunters
When Walker was arrested and his phone seized, officers uncovered the messages and images he had sent to the decoy.
Despite having less sentencing powers than the Crown Court, Judge Broderick warned that “there must be a clear message that this behaviour will readily attract a custodial sentence.”
“It goes without saying this behaviour is totally despicable,” said the judge adding that while Walker was talking to a decoy rather than a child, “that is of no material difference.”
In addition to the four month prison sentence, Walker was also made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for five years and he will remain on the police sex offenders register for seven years.