Paedo instructor focused schoolgirls, 12, on-line and requested if he could possibly be ‘older lover’
WARNING, GRAPHIC DETAILS: Married David Skillern, 60, was working as a special needs teacher when he asked one girl if he could be her ‘older lover’. He was caught by undercover cops
David Skillern was snared by undercover officers
A teacher targeted 12-year-old schoolgirls to perform sex acts online but was snared by undercover officers. Married David Skillern, 60, was working as a special needs teacher when he asked one girl if he could be her “older lover.”
A court heard he told a second girl he wanted to kiss her before engaging in a sex act with her. But Skillern was actually talking to decoy accounts created by undercover police officers in an online sting.
Prosecutor Alex Orndal said: “The defendant told the girl that he wanted to be a close friend. He suggested that he could be her boyfriend – he could be her older lover.”
The prosecutor said Skillern asked her personal questions about her body and asked her to perform sex acts online. When police officers knocked on his door, Skillern told them: “I will lose my job. I will lose everything.”
Mr Orndal said a search of his phone revealed child abuse images in Maesycwmmer near Caerphilly, South Wales. Cardiff Crown Court heard Skillern has since lost his job and his wife is divorcing him. Skillern pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and making indecent photographs of a child.
Gareth Williams, defending, said: “This has caused devastation. The defendant has been humiliated and his entire life has been crushed.”
Judge Recorder Ben Clarke handed Skillern a 16 month sentence suspended for two years. He must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and complete a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement. The defendant must register as a sex offender and he was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order 10 years.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
