Stowmarket man handed suspended sentence after admitting sexual communications with a child

A 20-year-old man from Stowmarket has been sentenced after pleading guilty to sexual communications with a child and making indecent images of children.

Luke Large, of Elizabeth Way, appeared before Ipswich Crown Court (pictured above) yesterday, Thursday, October 2, where he was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.

It follows an earlier hearing at Ipswich Crown Court on September 4 where Large pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of a child and one count of engaging in sexual communications with a child.

The court heard that from February 2023 Large exchanged messages of a sexual nature with a child he did not know, who had stated that she was 13 years’ old.

He told her he was depressed and asked for nude images and videos, claiming he would otherwise harm himself.

The communication was reported to police in November 2023 and, following enquiries by South Wales Police, identified an address in Stowmarket where Large was arrested by Suffolk police officers.

As part of enquiries, electronic devices were seized from his address.

The investigation found images of the victim, which had been shared to other messenger accounts, and indecent images of children saved from the internet.

These included 11 images of a child under category A, 11 images of a child under category B, one image of a child under category C and extreme pornography.

Further analysis of his phone indicated another messenger app had been used the previous year to save and share photos and video links, as well as messages exchanged with an unknown female where Large persistently asked for nude images.

Large was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

He must also take part in a rehabilitation activity programme.

Investigating officer PC Kerrie Stephens, from Suffolk Constabulary, said: “Large is an abhorrent individual who used blackmail as a means to convince young girls to send him nude photographs with the threat of otherwise harming himself.

“It unfortunately shows the ease to target and manipulate children online and highlights the dangers of sharing images and videos online.

“We would like to thank South Wales Police for their assistance in this investigation.”

Category A – deemed the most severe.

Category B – the mid-range in terms of seriousness.

Category C – the least severe