Sex offender contacted teenage victims to be sent naked photos on Snapchat


Gary Savage, 37, used the social media platform to initiate sexual communication with a number of females, including one with the user name “little baby girl”.
Savage, with an address at Victoria Street in Belfast, pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching a Sexual Prevention Order (SOPO).
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Hide AdUnder terms imposed last December, he is prohibited from any association with previous victims or using aliases on social media.
Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard one of them disclosed that she was contacted via Snapchat on March 5 by a user name recognised as linked to Savage.
When police arrested him and examined his phone, all contacts on it were female.
“He seemed to be initiating contact with the victims regularly, and the conversations turned sexual very quickly,” a Crown lawyer said.
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Hide AdPhotographs had been sent to Savage by two of the females who were aged 18 and 19 when the investigation commenced.
“The contacts who sent the pictures looked under 18, and included naked images and videos from one of the girls,” the prosecutor disclosed.
Further concerns centred on Savage contacting another female who was still in school.
“Various (chats) had started by asking what age people are and initiating conversations with a user whose name was ‘little baby girl’,” the lawyer said.
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Hide AdSavage is also barred from entering any relationship which would give him access to a young person without notifying his designated risk manager.
But the court heard he had been exchanging messages with another female who has a child.
“It appeared from the conversations they had previously had sex and that he was aware she was having a child,” the prosecutor added.
“She (also) has a 12-year-old daughter who was mentioned during the message exchanges.”
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Hide AdA defence barrister said Savage, who previously worked in the agriculture industry driving tractors, has now “burnt his bridges” because of previous offences.
“There are clearly quite a few aggravating features but he has already suffered the consequences for his actions,” counsel submitted.
“He has alienated himself from his own community and also his family to a degree.”
Imposing the maximum sentence available at Magistrates Court level for the offences, District Judge George Conner confirmed: “There will be six months custody.”