Woman sent child abuse images to boyfriend to 'keep relationship alive'.

Woman Sent Child Abuse Images to Boyfriend to Keep Their 'Relationship Alive'

Rachael Larkman, 38, and Steven Kearsley, 35, a couple who met on the website Flirtomatic in 2013 and were described as friends with benefits, were involved in a disturbing case involving child abuse images.

The relationship took a dark turn when Kearsley started requesting indecent images of children from Larkman. He became obsessed with online interactions with children, and police later discovered he had been messaging a child.

Larkman pleaded guilty to distributing indecent photos of a child, while Kearsley was found guilty of encouraging the commission of an offense related to requesting indecent images of children and engaging in sexual communication with a child.

During the trial, the prosecutor, Robert Smith, revealed that Kearsley had repeatedly asked Larkman for indecent images of children, driven by his sexual interest in them.

Police uncovered explicit messages exchanged between the pair, including one where Kearsley asked Larkman for "pervy pics" and another where he said, "Child abuse is always fun x."

The investigation also revealed that Kearsley was sending inappropriate messages to a child.

Larkman's defense argued that she was a vulnerable adult suffering from Battered Wife Syndrome and PTSD, while Kearsley's defense claimed he still denied the offenses and suggested a community alternative for his rehabilitation.

Sentencing Larkman, Recorder Anna Vigars QC acknowledged her traumatic background and remorse but stated that her actions were taken "to keep your own sexual relationship alive."

Kearsley was sentenced to a year in prison for his actions, with the judge noting his lack of remorse and continued denial of the offenses.

Both Larkman and Kearsley were placed on the sex offender register for a decade, with Kearsley also receiving a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.