The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
The sentence of a Pinchbeck man who admits attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child has been delayed after he tested positive for COVID-19.
Jason Hildred, 48, was due to be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court today (Mon) by Recorder Simon King.
But the hearing was told Hildred had tested positive for COVID-19 and was displaying symptoms.
Nicholas Bleaney, defending Hildred, confirmed his medical position and asked for sentence to be adjourned until later this month when his isolation period is over.
Hildred, of Walpole Close in Pinchbeck, had previously appeared at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court in December where he indicated a guilty plea to an offence of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.
The charge states Hildred – ‘for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification’ – tried to contact someone he knew not to be 16 or over to ‘encourage her to make a communication that was sexual, namely to describe previous sexual encounters and provide indecent images’.
Recorder King adjourned the case until February 22 when Hildred will be sentenced over the prison custody video link.
