Medway sexual predator jailed after preying on underage girls with explicit Facebook Messenger chats

A sexual predator who got “thrill” from preying on underage girls through explicit chats on Facebook messenger has been jailed.

Michael Hughes encouraged three of his victims to perform sexual acts on them and sent him photographs of them doing so.

The 62-year-old man also sent photos of genitals to the girls.

But unbeknownst to the pervert, he was actually communicating with online pedophile hunters who created fictitious ‘decoy’ profiles as part of a sting.

After his arrest in June 2021, he openly admitted to police that the conversations gave him “sexual excitement”.

But he also claimed he only gave one of the victims “sex education” and asked another about “fuck pictures” because he wanted to warn her of online dangers.

Hughes admitted multiple offenses and appeared at Maidstone Crown Court for a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, October 29.

The offender, who was living in the Medway area at the time, groomed three “girls”, allegedly aged 11, 12 and 13, over a three-month period.

Maidstone Crown Court heard their ages were made clear from the beginning of interviews with Hughes.

His explicit messages included instructions on how to masturbate, telling ‘girls’ to ‘think of my dick’ and ‘imagine me touching you’.

After telling another that she was “beautiful and smart”, Hughes asked her if she wanted to “chat about sex” and said: “We can be boyfriend and girlfriend here.”

Bartholomew O’Toole, defending, told the court the crimes “stemmed from fantasy and frustration” after his 20-year relationship with his partner “became abusive and distant”.

He also told the court Hughes “succumbed to temptation” after replying to messages in his inbox, adding that the victims were not “hunted by a predator”.

But the barrister said the sex offender “did not attempt to object” to his frank admissions to police, even though he did not actually receive any indecent images or send images of his own penis.

“He expressed shame, embarrassment and regret,” Mr O’Toole added. “This is what he told his lawyer: ‘I deeply regret this behavior. “I’m ashamed of myself for behaving this way,” he said.

The court was also told that Hughes, a boxing champion, used his construction skills throughout his life to work hard and provide for his family.

But his arrest left him living in a caravan “in the field or garden” and he no longer had contact with them, the lawyer said.

But Mr O’Toole said the three-year delay in the resolution of Hughes’ case was not his fault.

Interviewed in June 2021, the man’s first appearance before a judge did not take place until April of this year.

These are heinous crimes…

He later pleaded guilty to a total of eight offenses relating to inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual intercourse with a child.

Sentencing Hughes to three years in prison, Judge Gareth Branston told him detention was inevitable.

“These are heinous crimes. You were preying on potentially defenseless young children,” he said.

Following his release, Hughes will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years, as well as an indefinite sex offender notification requirement.