A 31-year-old man from Bath, Alexander Savery, has been spared prison after pleading guilty to three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. The offences, which occurred in 2024, involved Savery believing he was conversing with three different underage girls, who were in fact vigilante decoys posing as minors.
During the Bath Magistrates' Court hearing, details emerged of Savery’s messages to the decoys. In one instance, when communicating with a decoy named Olivia, whom he believed to be 13, Savery asked about her age and subsequently sent explicit messages and images. He questioned her about personal experiences with boys and whether she would respond to inappropriate images. Similar conduct was disclosed involving a second decoy called Layla, aged 14, to whom Savery sent explicit pictures and proposed meeting during her visit to Bath for the summer holidays.
The prosecution did not elaborate on the conversations with the third decoy. Throughout the court proceedings, Savery appeared visibly distressed, occasionally holding his head in his hands.
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Defending counsel, Will Palmer, highlighted that Savery had faced ongoing consequences for his actions over two years and had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. He also mentioned that Savery is a carer and expressed confidence that he is unlikely to reoffend.
Savery was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment for each offence, with the sentences to run concurrently and suspended for 18 months. In addition, he received a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and was tasked with completing 20 days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirements. Having no prior convictions, Savery was also ordered to pay a total of £272 in fines and court costs.