Alcester man who tried to persuade a 15-year-old girl to have sex with him has escaped being jailed - The Redditch Standard

Alcester man who tried to persuade a 15-year-old girl to have sex with him has escaped being jailed

Redditch Editorial 26th Oct, 2017   0

A PERVERTED Alcester man tried to persuade a 15-year-old girl to have sex with him by promising to recover money she was owed if she did so.

But despite already having a reprimand for having sex with another under-age girl when he was also a teenager, Royston Greening has escaped being jailed.

The 23-year-old had originally pleaded not guilty at Warwick Crown Court to inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity – but later changed his plea to guilty.

Greening, of Grafton Lane, Alcester, was sentenced to nine months in prison suspended for two years, and was ordered to take part in a rehabilitation activity and to pay £200 costs.




Judge Andrew Lockhart QC also ordered him to register as a sex offender for an indefinite period, but for at least ten years, and made him subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

Prosecutor Carl Templar-Vasey said at the time of the offence in 2015, Greening would have been 21 and the girl 15.


A series of 161 texts were exchanged between them which were of a sexual nature or leading up to being of a sexual nature.

Initially the girl told the police her responses had been ‘platonic,’ but an examination of the texts she had sent in reply showed that was not the case.

He pointed out Greening had entered his plea on the basis that during the early exchange of texts, he had not realised the girl was under-age.

But he accepted knowing she was only 15 when he sent his final text in which he told her he would get her money back if she had sex with him.

Mr Templar-Vasey added Greening had a number of previous convictions, and in August last year had been jailed for dangerous driving.

But although none of his convictions were for sexual offences, he had been given a reprimand in 2013 for engaging in sexual activity with an under-age girl at a time when he was 17.

Sukhdev Bisla, defending, said: “From the outset he has accepted he’s sent one text. It’s set out in his police interview that he sent that. He accepts what he’s done.”

Online Editions

Catch up on your local news by reading our e-editions on the Redditch Standard.

Printing

We can provide all of your printing needs at competitive rates.

Reader Travel

Check out all of the latest reader travel offers to get your hands on some free gifts.

YouTube

Check out the latest videos on our YouTube channel.