Telford squaddie who sent sexual Snapchat pictures to teen girls is spared jail
A former Telford soldier who joined a friendship group of teenagers and sent sexual images of himself to three teen girls has been spared jail.
Jake Higham, now aged 21, was just 19 when he joined a teenage friendship group in Telford, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard on Friday.
Mr Philip Beardwell, prosecuting, told the court that Higham, from Dawley in Telford, joined the group in the summer of 2023.
He said Higham’s first victim had just turned 14 when she too joined the group and had added Higham to her Snapchat.
“To her, the relationship was platonic,” said Mr Beardwell. “But despite knowing her age, he (Higham) sent an unsolicited picture of his erect penis.”
He said Higham asked the girl to send pictures back, but she did not.
Shortly afterwards, Higham then invited another teenage girl, who was 15, to his 19th birthday.
Mr Beardwell said the girl remembered him being “overly tactile towards her”.
He said after this, Higham messaged the teenager on Snapchat and first sent a picture of his face.
“She reminded him she was 15,” said Mr Beardwell. “But he also sent her a picture of his penis.”
He said the girl told other members of the friendship group and Higham “became really mad and punched a bin” before blocking her on Snapchat.
Mr Beardwell said Higham then targeted his third victim just as she was turning 15.
He said the girl had a boyfriend, who was with her when Higham sent a picture of his erect penis to the girl.
By this point, said Mr Beardwell, the mother of one of the girls became aware of Higham’s actions and reported him to the police.
After attending his address in Dawley, police officers discovered he was based at Blandford Army Camp in Dorset, and Higham was arrested at the barracks on February 16, 2024.
He went on to admit three charges of sexual communication with a child and was dismissed from the army.
In sentencing him, Judge Trevor Meegan told Higham: “You are a young man and were 19 at the time so not a child but not a full grown adult either.
“It is clear to me on reading the documents that you were immature at the time. This is also the first time you have come before the courts, and you also pleaded guilty.
“You have expressed remorse and there has been no further offending. You were proud to pass entry into the army as it had been your life long ambition.
“It is of course highly unlikely you will be able to re-enter army service in the future.”
He sentenced Higham to seven months imprisonment, suspended for two years, ordered he conduct unpaid work and attend probation meetings.
The judge warned Higham that any breach of the suspended sentence could result in him being sent to prison.