‘Monster’ social worker who sent explicit Snapchat messages to teenagers jailed

A social worker was described as a “monster” as he was jailed for sexually messaging two young teenagers on Snapchat and accessing records of another teenager he had a relationship with.

Thomas Weller, 33, was sentenced to 34 months in prison after admitting sending “truly revolting” explicit texts and looking up social work records of another young woman he wanted to renew communication with.

His sexual communication was not connected to his role as a West Sussex social worker, the court heard.

The mother of a 13-year-old girl who exchanged nearly 300 messages with Weller, who posed as a 20-year-old man, said she thinks her daughter had been “scarred for life” and has lost trust in everyone.

Sentencing him, Judge Christine Laing KC, said: “You were working in children’s services, you knew better than anybody else how vulnerable young children can be and they were children.”

The court heard how the 13-year-old repeatedly told him her age and on one occasion he replied “idc” – meaning “I don’t care”.

In a victim impact statement read to court, her mother said: “She has lost trust in social services, she has lost trust in men, she seems angry when she talks to me.

“Her safe space is her bedroom and now he’s like a ghost who floats around in there.”

The court also heard how the social worker exchanged more than 200 Snapchat messages with a 15-year-old boy and offered for him to come to his home but it was only the boy’s reluctance that stopped it going ahead.

Weller had also been using the photo of a man he knew for his fake Snapchat profile, who told of his “shock” and that he “felt sick” when he found out his picture had been used and people would believe he was a predator.

The court heard how Weller accessed social work records on two dates of a young woman he had a brief relationship with, and was trying to renew contact.

Judge Laing said she had no doubt he was doing that to be in a position to “manipulate her in some way”.

It was heard he told police that maybe his actions were a “cry for help”.

The judge added: “The real harm of that offence is the impact on the wider circle, all people who rely on children’s family services, to protect what is almost always deeply personal information, them at their most vulnerable, and it is that trust that you destroy when accessing that information.”

Weller, of Horsham, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual communication with a child and misconduct in public office in July this year.

Defending Weller, Oliver Kirk said he suffers from mental disorders which relate to his offending, and that he is “full of remorse” and that on reflection his actions go against his inner moral compass.

Sussex Police Detective Chief Inspector Jon Gillings said: “Thanks to the bravery and support of Weller’s victims and their families, we have been able to bring an extremely disturbing offender to justice.

“Weller held a position of trust, with a duty to protect vulnerable children. His crimes are a betrayal of that responsibility.”

Weller was sentenced to 34 months in custody and will be on the sex offender’s register for seven years.