A Washington man, Mark Robertson, avoided prison after attempting to engage in sexual chats with a decoy posing as a schoolgirl online
Washington: A man tried to chat sexually with a child but got caught. Mark Robertson thought he was messaging a schoolgirl. Instead, it was an undercover officer.
In October 2022, he sent a Snapchat message. He was told the girl was 14. They exchanged selfies, and the conversation turned sexual. He called her “baby” and expressed his feelings.
Robertson asked about her underwear and if he could be her boyfriend. He even suggested kissing and more. The court heard he pushed the conversation further, asking for explicit pictures.
When police visited him, he claimed he was stressed at work. He said his “moral compass was off-kilter.” He insisted it was just fantasy and he wouldn’t meet a child.
Robertson pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child. He received a 10-month suspended sentence and must register as a sex offender for ten years.
His defense attorney mentioned that he struggles with low self-esteem but has a good work history and is receiving counseling.
