Luke Ovington Jailed for Sexually Chatting Online With a 13-Year-Old Girl

A man has been jailed for sexually explicit online conversations with a 13-year-old girl, offering her £1,000 in exchange for images of herself in underwear.

Luke Ovington, 28, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, breached both a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and a suspended prison sentence imposed just last year for similar behavior. During a three-day online exchange on Snapchat in September, Ovington used the alias 'Ryan' to engage with the underage girl despite knowing her age.

Prosecutor Philip Morley stated that unlike some online "stings", this was a real child who repeatedly made it clear she was 13 years old. Ovington persisted in sending sexually explicit messages, suggesting they keep their conversations secret from her parents and offering her £1,000 for compromising images.

Police were alerted and arrested Ovington, seizing his phone which contained deleted evidence of the online exchange. He admitted charges of sexual communication with a child, breaching the SHPO, and possession of cannabis found during his arrest.

Defense attorney Tony Davis acknowledged the seriousness of Ovington's actions, citing previous psychiatric reports indicating mental health struggles and a pattern of relapse involving cannabis use and online engagement.

Judge Nathan Adams sentenced Ovington to 28 months in prison, activating six months from his previous suspended sentence. He imposed a new ten-year SHPO and registration requirements, emphasizing the gravity of Ovington's repeated offenses.