Man admits sexual communication attempt with child after police sting
A Stockton man has been handed a suspended prison term after sending explicit messages and videos to a person he believed was a 14-year-old girl, who was in fact a police operative. Ryan Borrow, 32, of Swallow Lane, Stockton, pleaded guilty to attempting sexual communication with a child and was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court.
The court heard how Borrow began messaging an online profile he thought belonged to a girl called Freya. On 20 February last year, he asked her age and, after being told she was 14, replied that he was 31. Prosecutor Emma Atkinson outlined a series of subsequent messages over the following days in which he sought images and suggested sexual activity.
"if I show you my bum can I see yours?"
When questioned by the profile about what he wanted to see, he replied:
"your ass hehe" and "whatever you want"
Borrow sent a video of himself twerking with his naked buttocks and asked if the recipient liked it, before sending a further clip of him spanking himself. He was arrested at his home on 4 April last year, when officers seized his phone.
Sentence and court orders
Recorder Taryn Turner imposed a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. Borrow must complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 28 days of rehabilitation activity requirement days. The court also made a seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). He had no previous convictions, immediately admitted what he had done upon arrest and cooperated with the investigation. The court was told he acknowledged an addiction to pornography.
| Element | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Offence | Attempting sexual communication with a child |
| Prison term | 12 months (suspended for 18 months) |
| Unpaid work | 100 hours |
| Rehabilitation activity | 28 days |
| SHPO | 7 years |
Timeline of key events
- 20 February (last year): Borrow asks the profile’s age; proceeds after being told the purported age is 14.
- Late February: Sends sexualised messages and a video of his bare buttocks; offers further explicit content.
- 4 April (last year): Arrested at home; device seized by police.
- Sentencing: Receives a suspended term with requirements and a seven-year SHPO.
Safeguarding context for Teesside communities
The case underlines the continued use of covert online profiles by law enforcement to identify adults who seek sexual communication with children. While the individual in this instance was corresponding with a police decoy, the conduct still constitutes a criminal attempt and can lead to custodial sentences, stringent court orders and long-term monitoring.
A Sexual Harm Prevention Order can impose tailored restrictions set by the court to manage risk and protect the public. Breaching an SHPO is a criminal offence and can result in immediate custody. Orders of this kind typically sit alongside other measures such as requirements to engage with rehabilitative programmes and compliance checks.
Parents and carers in Stockton-on-Tees may wish to review basic online safety practices, including supervising app use, discussing appropriate online behaviour with young people and using privacy controls wherever possible. Anyone with concerns about grooming or exploitation should report it to the police via the usual non-emergency channels or call 999 in an emergency.
What the court heard
Prosecutor Emma Atkinson read messages in which Borrow sought sexual images and indicated a willingness to send explicit content first. The court was told he admitted his behaviour when officers arrived and cooperated through the investigation. He later entered a guilty plea and was sentenced on Friday.
This outcome follows a series of North East cases involving online approaches to apparent minors, with courts repeatedly emphasising the seriousness of attempts to sexualise communications with children, whether or not a real child is involved. The suspended sentence, activity requirements and lengthy SHPO place Borrow under significant restrictions and oversight for years to come.
