LANCASHIRE PAEDOPHILE SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS FOR CHILD ABUSE

A paedophile has been sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of sexual abuse against a young boy in Lancashire. Adrian Gartshore-Taylor, aged 66, from West End Road, Morecambe, admitted to four incidents of assault against a boy under 14 and one count of indecency with a child under 16. The court heard that Gartshore-Taylor targeted the boy over several weeks at Great Birchwood Country Park and Campsite in Warton in 2002. He manipulated the child, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, by enticing him to work for him and helping him sell goods from a caravan. Gartshore-Taylor gained the trust of the boy's father to stay overnight in his caravan under the pretext of preparing for early mornings, which was used as an opportunity to groom and abuse the child, including sexual assault while showing him computer games. The victim described feeling unaware of what was happening at the time, but since then, he has suffered depression, anxiety, and attempted suicide in 2015. The court revealed that relative gifts, such as a mobile phone and trainers, were used to secure his silence. The abuse was revealed to the victim's sister years later, and he reported it to police in 2019. Gartshore-Taylor also had previous convictions and was found with indecent images of children in his laptop during his arrest. He served a four-and-a-half-year sentence in 2005 and was convicted again in Bulgaria in 2016 for distributing and possessing indecent images, earning him a further year. Despite claiming to have participated in sexual offenders' treatment programs, the judge described Gartshore-Taylor as a 'selfish predatory paedophile' and sentenced him to seven years in prison. The judge highlighted the harm caused to the victim, noting that Gartshore-Taylor's actions 'wiped away' his childhood and caused lasting trauma, including difficulties in future relationships and ongoing daily suffering. Gartshore-Taylor was deemed an offender of particular concern and will face parole decisions regarding his release. The court commended the victim's bravery and emphasized the devastation caused by Gartshore-Taylor’s conduct. His imprisonment aims to protect the public from further harm.