Married special needs teacher David Skillern, 60, targeted 12-year-old schoolgirls online, asking to be their 'older lover', but was caught by undercover police officers. The teacher, who worked with special needs students, engaged in explicit conversations with decoy accounts set up by police in an online sting operation.
Details of the Case
Prosecutor Alex Orndal told Cardiff Crown Court that Skillern asked one girl if he could be her 'older lover' and told another he wanted to kiss her before engaging in a sex act. He also asked personal questions about their bodies and requested them to perform sex acts online.
When police officers knocked on his door in Maesycwmmer, near Caerphilly, South Wales, Skillern said: 'I will lose my job. I will lose everything.' A search of his phone revealed child abuse images.
Consequences
Skillern has since lost his job, and his wife is divorcing him. He pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and making indecent photographs of a child.
Defending, Gareth Williams 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 complete 200 hours of unpaid work and a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement. Skillern must register as a sex offender and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.
