A man from the Scarborough area has been sentenced after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual communication with children aged 14 and 12.
Ian Horsman, 62, of Eastway, Eastfield, appeared at York Crown Court today (Monday 24 March 2025) where he was handed a 12-month custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay £150 court costs and £187 surcharge.
Horsman was placed on the Register of Sex Offenders and made subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
He had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual communication with a child when he appeared at Scarborough Magistrates’ Court on 10 February 2025.
The evidence had been provided by an Online Child Activist Group (OCAG) who had confronted Horsman on Dunslow Road, Eastfield, on the morning of 16 September 2023.
He had in fact been chatting online with OCAG ‘decoys’ – adults playing the role of children - on 2 September and again on 16 September 2023.
Police were called to the scene and the OCAG handed over the evidence to the officers.
Horsman was arrested and subsequently charged.
Detective Sergeant Matthew Edwards, of Scarborough & Ryedale CID, said:
“Although the offences in this case were committed against fictional profiles and not real children, it was clear in the evidence that Horsman showed a high level of sexual grooming and perseverance towards who he believed were girls aged 14 and 12.
“This is deeply concerning behaviour and North Yorkshire Police will relentlessly pursue such offenders who pose a serious risk to children.”
Reporting suspected crimes involving indecent images of children and online sexual abuse
- Please contact North Yorkshire Police on 101. If you are in immediate danger, always dial 999 for an emergency response
- Child Exploitation Online Protection command (CEOP) – www.ceop.police.uk
- Internet Watch Foundation - www.iwf.org.uk - report suspected abuse of children online
- Stop It Now! helpline 0808 1000 900 – www.stopitnow.org.uk – seek anonymous and confidential help if you or someone you know could be a sexual risk to children
- Victims who would prefer not to go direct to the police and are not in immediate danger, can contact North Yorkshire’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), on 0330 223 0362
- You can also contact the Supporting Victims Unit direct at www.supportingvictims.org or call 01609 643100
- NSPCC Helplines: Help for adults concerned about a child – call 0808 800 5000; Help for children and young people – call Childline on 0800 1111; Go to www.nspcc.org.uk
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