Teen jailed for sending explicit messages to children

Monday, 30 June 2025 12:23

A Guernsey teenager who sent explicit messages to children under 10 has been jailed for nearly three years.

18 year old Jessica Garnham-Burton was convicted of a string of sexual offences.

Last May, a parent alerted police to the sexual conversations Garnham-Burton was having via Snapchat with two very young children, aged seven and eight, which included videos and images.

She was arrested, and her devices revealed she has been impersonating a child to speak to her victims, and that she had tried to meet them.

51 indecent images were also found.

Garnham-Burton pleaded guilty to ten charges, including six of making indecent images of children and two of distributing them.

Guernsey's Royal Court sentenced her to two years and eight months' youth detention.

Bailiwick Law Enforcement says the case highlights why parents must monitor their children's devices by using Wi-Fi, device and app parental controls.

"... we would always recommend you think carefully about what age you allow your children to have access to social media, all of which is age restricted to 13+.

"There will always be people out there seeking to take advantage of the anonymity many social media and gaming platforms afford."

For more information on social media safety visit Internet Matters.