Published date: 05 February 2016 |
Published by: Staff reporterRead more articles by Staff reporterEmail reporter
A MAN aged 50 who admitted grooming a teenage girl who was in care in North Wales has been jailed for two years.
Alan McDonald admitted meeting a child following grooming with a view to committing a sexual offence.
At Mold Crown Court on Thursday he was also ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for 10 years.
A 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also made.
The court heard the girl, of high school age, was in care in the Wrexham area because of, among other things, fear that she was vulnerable to be sexually exploited.
McDonald, when arrested, claimed he thought the girl he had been exchanging text messages and WhatsApp messages with was aged 21.
The Recorder Richard Williams said McDonald began a conversation and then exchanged messages with a child in care.
“It is clear from the extent and subject matter of the communication disclosed in the prosecution papers that you intended to engage in penetrative sexual acts,” he said.
The complainant was a child who was vulnerable and the starting point in sentence was four years with a range of between three and seven, he said.
McDonald, of Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, was a man of no previous convictions but the judge said: “It is not appropriate to suspend the sentence. This is predatory behaviour in relation to a child who was particularly vulnerable.”
Barrister Michael Whitty, prosecuting, said the child was living in a care home in the Wrexham area. She had been moved from her home area because of concerns that she was at risk of exploitation.
Concerns were initially raised because she went missing from the care home on a number of occasions and had returned smelling of cannabis.
Mr Whitty said members of staff had seen the girl in McDonald’s company.
On November 22, 2014, she went missing again at about 2.30pm.
“She was seen simply to have walked out of the premises by a member of staff who followed her. It was thought she was going to another care home property but she didn’t arrive there so staff went to look for her.
“A man matching the description of the defendant seemed to stop in the area and pick someone up although it was impossible to tell at that stage whether it was the girl,” he said.
The vehicle’s number plate was noted and was found to be registered to the defendant.
Police found the girl leaving a pizza restaurant and McDonald was still inside.
He was arrested and his vehicle was searched with a number of unused condoms being found inside.
Mr Whitty said the girl was reluctant to provide any information much less any statement of complaint but did indicate there had not been any sexual contact between them.
Interviewed, McDonald accepted some contact with her and said he thought she was 21.
His mobile phone was examined and messages were found that had been exchanged through the WhatsApp messaging software.
“There are 25 pages of these messages that were sent between October 20 and date of his arrest on November 22, 2014,” he said.
“Many are of a sexual nature and talk about his feelings towards her.”
He was re-arrested in March, 2015, made no comment in interview, and was charged in September.
Jonathan Duffy, defending, said his client was a man of good character.
While he knew she was in care he did not know she was in care because she was vulnerable to sexual exploitation.
There were many positive things to be said about him. A letter of reference had been written by his former partner, and the key question was whether the inevitable prison sentence could be suspended.
see-http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/158254/man-jailed-for-two-years-after-grooming-girl-who-was-in-care-in-wrexham.aspx
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