Flintshire,North Wales - Men who didn’t know each other groomed same Flintshire girl on internet

Published date: 13 April 2016 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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A JUDGE said a case before him where a schoolgirl aged 15 had effectively been groomed over the internet was every parent’s nightmare.

Judge Niclas Parry told Mold Crown Court it showed the dangers of social media.

Two men – who were not known to each other but who persuaded the same Flintshire schoolgirl to indulge in sexual acts over Skype – were each jailed for two years yesterday.

Christopher Stockton, 36, of Liverpool, admitted four offences, two of intentionally arranging the commission of a child sex offence by sending the girl text messages and two of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity of a non- penetrative nature.

The court heard that it happened when his partner was pregnant with his baby.

Richard Bowers, 21, also Liverpool, admitted one count of inciting a penetrative child sex offence over the internet and possessing indecent images of the girl and one video recording of her, together with other explicit images.

Both men, who had never been in trouble before, were ordered to register with the police as sex offenders for a decade.

A 10-year sexual harm prevention order was made under which, among other things, they must not contact any girl under 16.

The court was told the offences had a considerable effect on the girl who had since left home. She was in care, her education had suffered and she had suffered mental health problems.

Judge Parry told the defendants: “This is a case that highlights the danger of social media.” It was, he said, the worst nightmare for any parent of a young girl.

“Although you lived in another part of the country and never met, social media made it possible for you and the victim to strike up a relationship.”

He told Stockton he became aware the girl was sad, suicidal and vulnerable but sought to gain sexual gratification at her expense.

“You effectively groomed her,” he said. He called her his Princess, said he would look after her, did his best to meet her and sent messages to facilitate the commission of a child sex offence which was what he had in mind.

He incited her to expose herself and perform sexual acts over the internet.

“By your control over her, you gained sexual gratification by persuading her to pose naked for you,” the judge said.

Bowers had admitted serious offending which was nothing other than predatory, bombarding her with messages, exposing himself to her over the internet and persuading her to do the same. He had also persuaded her to perform a penetrative act with an object.

He arranged to meet her but fortunately she twice failed to turn up. He retained indecent photographs and a video of her and at one stage threatened to distribute an image.

The judge said he accepted Bowers was extremely sexually naive and the original meeting between them on the internet appeared to have been legitimate.

Andrew Green, prosecuting, said the offences dated back to 2014.

Her parents became concerned for her welfare, checked her laptop and found Skype conversations between her and Bowers in which he told her he loved her, wanted to marry her and have children.

Further Skype conversations with Stockton were found and the police were informed because of the nature of the sexualised messages.

The girl’s mental health had deteriorated and she was unfit to be a witness in the case.

The two men were charged after what was discovered on her laptop and mobile phone.

Bowers bombarded her with messages after the police probe began complaining she was no longer contacting him.

He even put a letter through the letterbox which frightened the family because they then realised he knew where she lived.

Interviewed, Bowers said he believed she was 17 when he met her through a dating site on the internet. They exchanged phone numbers but he accepted that there later became a time when he knew her age.

Stockton admitted he would go on chatrooms and have sexual chats with other people because he struggled to make friends and was a bit of a loner. He said he thought she was 16.

James Parry, for Stockton, said his partner was pregnant at the time. Their child had since been born but it was not intended that they should get back together. She was not impressed by his behaviour.

He was a low risk of re-offending. He had been employed, was full of remorse and had learnt his lesson.

Alun Williams, for Bowers, said his client, a mechanic, joined a dating site, believed her to be 17 and his intentions were honourable.

He was a virgin, sexually naive, and when the relationship developed they exchanged photographs of each other and spoke of marriage and children.

But later he was “perhaps reckless in relation to her age”, carried on regardless and got her to send images to him.

He was of good character. He had shown a lack of maturity, was now in a stable relationship and Mr Williams said he would be vulnerable in prison.

see-http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/160844/men-who-didn-t-know-each-other-groomed-same-flintshire-girl-on-internet.aspx