LANCASHIRE MAN JAILED FOR GROOMING A YOUNG GIRL IN AUSTRALIA
A man from Lancashire has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty of grooming a young girl in Australia.Allan Goodall, aged 44, residing on Kingswood Road in Leyland, engaged in inappropriate contact with a 12-year-old girl living in Australia by posing as an online friend.
The communication escalated through various online channels, including an online game, iMessage, and FaceTime, where Goodall forced the girl to perform sexual acts and watch him doing the same.
He used both affection and threats to manipulate her into complying with his sexual demands.
The grooming persisted for over a year before the girl’s father discovered messages on her phone, which prompted Australian authorities to contact Lancashire police.
During a search of Goodall’s possessions, police seized his mobile phone, laptop, and computer, which contained indecent images of children and evidence of his communication with the girl.
The Crown Prosecution Service collaborated with Lancashire police to build the case, and the girl was also interviewed via video link in Australia.
On March 3, 2022, Goodall appeared at Preston Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to multiple sexual offenses, including causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual acts and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.
Initially, he claimed he believed the girl was 18 but later pleaded guilty to nine of fourteen charges related to her sexual exploitation.
He was sentenced to 8 years in prison with an additional five-year extension and ordered to comply with a 13-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Prosecutor Brett Gerrity emphasized Goodall’s knowing exploitation and deemed him a danger to children, expressing hope that the victim can now begin to recover from the ordeal.
