South Tyneside mental health nurse sent sexual explicit messages to schoolboy
South Tyneside sex offender sent explicit messages to a schoolboy over 16-month period.
A mental health nurse who sent graphic sexual messages to a schoolboy has kept his freedom.
Gary Pillans exchanged pictures and videos with the underage teen on social media over a 16-month period.
Two of Pillans' mobile devices were seized but he refused to give officers the pin codes to access them and their content remains unknown.
Pillans, 34, of Ferry Street, Jarrow, South Tyneside, admitted engaging in sexual communication with a child and failing to comply with a notice to disclose information in relation to the phone pin numbers.
‘Sexually explicit communication with boy’
Judge Julie Clemitson told him: "Over that extended period of 16 months you engaged in sexually explicit communication with that boy.
"He was 13 when the conversation began and because it went on for so long he attained his 14th birthday.
"You knew he was a schoolboy, there was references to him doing homework and appearing in uniform."
Judge Clemitson said during one conversation the victim made a request for money, which did not appear to be "out of the blue" but there was no evidence of "commercial exploitation".
‘Could be getting away with far more serious offending’
The judge said because Pillans refused to allow police to access his phone he could be "getting away with far more serious offending" but he had to be sentenced only on the evidence available.
Judge Clemitson added that in Pillans then role as a mental health nurse he would have ben more aware than others about the impact of sexual offending on young people.
Pillans was sentenced to 26 months, suspended for three years ,with programme and rehabilitation requirements, plus 200 hours unpaid work.
He was ordered to sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.
Jason Smith, defending, said Pillans accepts full responsibility for his offending, which was committed at a time when he was extremely isolated and emotionally low.
Mr Smith said Pillans has a good prospect of rehabilitation.