A 47-year-old Lydney man who tried to communicate sexually with children online – not realising that he was actually talking to undercover police officers – has changed his plea to guilty at the last minute.
On the scheduled day of his trial, Jamie Morgan of Meadow Rise, Lydney, pleaded guilty to intentionally attempting to communicate with two people aged under 16 for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification between January 7 2022 and February 5, 2022.
A jury was waiting to be selected for the trial at Gloucester Crown Court when Morgan changed his plea.
Judge Ian Lawrie KC said: “It is saddening that Morgan waited until the day of trial to plead guilty.
“This is presumably after he had been confronted with the weight of prosecution evidence against him.
“I do, however, understand that there were mitigating reasons for his delay in admitting these offences.”
Morgan was released on conditional bail to appear at the court on May 31 for sentence.
An interim order was made for him to sign the sex offenders register pending sentence.