A FORMER school head of IT has been locked up after making sexual and exploitative chat with a child.
Trevor Scanlon, of Briarwood Road in Ewloe, appeared at Mold Crown Court for sentence on Thursday.
The 45-year-old had previously admitted one offence of causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child aged 13-17.
Frances Wilmott, prosecuting, told the court that the defendant's charge encapsulated no less than 10 occasions of the behaviour.
His behaviour, which took place over a number of months, was carried out towards a female child and came to light when the victim's parents had cause to look at her phone.
When they did, they found financial transactions and messages between the girl and Scanlon.
The messages included explicit descriptions of sex acts he would engage in with her.
Scanlon also asked for explicit sexual images from the child - and when her device was examined, such images were found.
The court heard Scanlon had made almost 30 financial transactions to the girl, totalling more than £400.
Ms Wilmott told the court that the victim did tell Scanlon her age, confirming to him that she was a child.
The court heard that prior to his identification and questioning by police in 2023, which came some years after the actual offence was committed, Scanlon worked as a head of IT at a local school.
Nick Cockrell, defending, referred the court to a report compiled about his client's diagnosis of ADHD.
He continued: "At the outset, this is a serious offence that Mr Scanlon is to be sentenced for; he knows that.
"And nothing I say on his behalf about the offence or about him seeks to draw the court's attention away from the seriousness.
"From 2020 onwards, he was employed as the head of IT at a local school .
"It involved assisting the school with IT infrastructure - not any contact with pupils.
"There may have been times when he as called to fix computers in classrooms, but there was no teaching."
He explained that since his arrest, his client had set up a business offering IT support to businesses.
Mr Cockrell added: "He entered his plea at the earliest opportunity without any minimisation."
His Honour Judge Simon Mills told Scanlon: "You had every possible reason not to embark on the course of behaviour you embarked on in this case.
"You're a family man. You worked in a role in a school; a responsible position dealing with IT.
"During the period of the offending, you knew perfectly well she was [a child].
"You spoke about meeting her as well - it didn't happen, thank goodness."
The Judge handed down an overall sentence of two years and eight months after giving Scanlon credit for his pleas and adjusting for mitigation.
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He concluded the prison term could not be suspended, as the offence was "plainly and obviously one where adequate punishment can only be achieved by an immediate custodial sentence."
The Judge also remarked that while he had read the report on the defendant's ADHD, the condition "does not serve in any way, shape or form to reduce culpability" for the way he behaved.
Scanlon was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order until further order, and indefinite notification provisions.
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