Clacton teenager 'hoodwinked' into making indecent image of child

Ross Brazitis was sentenced in Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday after he admitted one charge of making an indecent image of a child seven years ago when he was 19.

The court heard how Brazitis, now 26, had been communicating with an online account called Emma Long in April 2017.

The account was in fact being run by a paedophile called Alex Bean, with Brazitis exchanging messages with him over the course of a year.

Sentence – Chelmsford Crown Court heard how Brazitis had communicated with the account for a year (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

Prosecuting barrister George Jackson told the court how Bean asked Brazitis if he could find him a young boy, to which Brazitis replied: “I don’t have access to one, but I will try and find a random boy.”

Mr Jackson continued: “There is reference to Bean’s younger sister; he shows Brazitis videos of her and Brazitis asks if he could have sex with the six-year-old.

“Bean says he has access to another younger girl and the defendant expresses interest in using her too.

“Brazitis says he has access to a 12-year-old boy who could do a camera call if Bean were to show him photos of the six-year-old girl.”

During a Skype call between the two, Bean sent a Category A image of a four-month-old girl being sexually abused.

The offence came to light in 2022 when West Yorkshire Police seized Bean’s devices and found the conversations he had with Brazitis five years earlier.

Brazitis, of Thorpe Road, Frinton, admitted the offence when he appeared before magistrates.

Daniel O’Malley, mitigating, said Brazitis had been an immature teenager when the image was exchanged.

Punishment – Brazitis was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £1,000 as part of his sentence (Image: Newsquest)

He said: “For someone who was 19 and is now 26, the development is colossal in terms of mental maturity.

“What he did he is ashamed of, and to a huge extent he was hoodwinked into this.

“He wanted to go along with what he thought was a girl, and he looks back on this with horror and revulsion.”

His Honour Judge Wilkin ordered Brazitis to pay a £1,000 victim surcharge, carry out 250 hours of unpaid work, and complete 40 rehab requirement days.