ANDREW BIRD OF THURROCK SENTENCED FOR ONLINE GROOMING AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN SHEFFIELD

In April 2019, a deeply disturbing case emerged involving Andrew Bird, a 30-year-old resident of Zamor Crescent in Thurcroft, who was convicted of heinous crimes related to online grooming and possession of indecent images of children. Bird's actions, which spanned over several weeks, involved manipulative and predatory behavior aimed at a vulnerable 15-year-old girl, whose identity remains protected by law.

Bird first initiated contact with the teenage girl through the popular online chat platform Omegle, a site known for its random video and text chats. Over the course of four weeks during the summer of 2017, Bird engaged her in lengthy conversations, during which he gradually persuaded her to perform sexual acts on herself. His manipulative tactics included instructing her to adhere to what he called 'princess rules,' which involved wearing a nappy and drinking from a bottle, a form of sick role play that aimed to infantilize her.

The girl, who was only 15 at the time, repeatedly informed Bird of her age, but he continued to pursue his predatory interests. Prosecutor Mr. Matthew Donkin outlined that Bird suggested she move to Rotherham after finishing school, indicating a desire to continue their contact in person. Bird's online interactions were intense, with him chatting with her for several hours each day, often discussing his preferences for sexual domination and violence. In one chilling statement, Bird expressed a desire to lock her in a shed overnight without food or water, revealing the extent of his disturbing fantasies.

Further evidence revealed that Bird accessed the girl’s online shopping account, purchasing clothes from her wishlist and then directing her to try them on at his house. He also asked her to perform sexual acts on herself while he watched via webcam, exploiting her trust and vulnerability. The girl’s parents discovered the inappropriate messages on her phone in August 2017, prompting them to contact law enforcement authorities. Police investigations uncovered references to 'rape play' and role-playing scenarios where Bird referred to himself as 'daddy' and the girl as 'princess' or 'baby,' highlighting the manipulative and abusive nature of his communications.

Law enforcement officials traced Bird’s location through the address linked to the clothing orders and arrested him. A thorough analysis of his mobile phone revealed a horrifying collection of over 3,138 indecent images of children, including 860 categorized as the most severe form of abuse, known as Category A images. Some of these children appeared to be as young as 18 months old. Additionally, detectives discovered Bird had distributed 65 indecent images via the Kik messaging app, using his computer. Search terms such as 'five-year-old girl' and 'rape play' were found in his online activity, further illustrating his depravity.

Investigations also uncovered a disturbing conversation on Kik in which Bird discussed a role play involving boys aged 12 and two others, indicating a pattern of predatory interest in minors. Bird admitted to multiple charges, including inciting a child to engage in penetrative sexual activity, engaging in sexual communications with a minor, creating three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, and distributing such images.

At Sheffield Crown Court, Judge Rachael Harrison sentenced Bird to three years and two months in prison. She also imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, explicitly banning Bird from contacting the victim or any child under 16 without supervision from social services. Bird denied one charge related to possession of an extreme pornographic image, which was ordered to be left on file, but his other convictions reflect the severity of his crimes and the danger he posed to children in the community.