A SOUTH Cumbrian man’s sexual interest in a schoolgirl was discovered by chance when she left her mobile phone on the school bus, a court heard.

William Nicholson, 28, engaged in explicit sexual communication with the girl over ten days, at one point telling her that he had “morals” and going on to suggest that she could go on the pill or have a contraceptive injection.

At Carlisle Crown Court, the defendant, of Kirkfield, Ambleside, admitted four offences: communicating sexually with a 13-year-old child, two counts of sexually touching the same child, and causing a child to watch an image of sexual activity. 

Prosecutor Kim Whittlestone outlined the facts.

She said the offences all took place in May last year. It was after the girl’s phone was left on her school bus that her parents inspected it and discovered the messages between her and the defendant.

Those messages had begun in September 2020. Miss Whittlestone went on to outline some of the later incriminating messages, including one in which Nicholson told the girl he had “strong sexual feelings for her.” 

Another message revealed that they had kissed.

“They discussed sex,” said the barrister, and it was during this that Nicholson suggested the schoolgirl could get birth control, though there was no suggestion she ever did, said Miss Whittlestone.

Nicholson also sent the girl a video of himself performing a sex act.

The barrister said that at the time the girl, described as vulnerable, did not know what was happening was wrong but she was now troubled by it. She had been worried about bumping into the defendant.

She had initially felt isolated and said the abuse made her change as a person and she felt she now has a lot to process at a young age because of Nicholson’s actions.

Rosalind Emsley-Smith Smith said that the defendant, a man of previous good character, had accepted responsibility for his wrongdoing. He wanted the court to know that he offered an apology to the victim.

Judge Nicholas Barker said references handed in to the court spoke highly of the defendant. But Nicholson’s communication with the girl had been “sexual communication within the context of grooming,” said the judge.

While claiming to be offering help, he had engaged her in the sexual way and yet she was a child and he was an adult. “You knew what you were doing was wrong,” said the judge, though he accepted Nicholson was sorry for what he had done.

Judge Barker jailed Nicholson for 29 months. The defendant will be on the national Sex Offender Register for a decade and subject to a strict sexual harm prevention order for the same period of time.