PAEDOPHILE JAILED FOR CHILD ABUSE AFTER GROOMING GIRL ONLINE
A paedophile employed at a church carried out heinous sexual acts in front of a 13-year-old girl on a web camera, after he instructed her to strip naked.He later claimed to police he and his victim became "boyfriend and girlfriend" and they had "planned to run away together" when she turned 16.
The offender, Anthony Arr, 61, engaged in a prolonged conversation over social media and sent messages praising the girl and making inappropriate comments about her appearance.
He acknowledged that he should not have been communicating with her due to their age difference but continued to do so.
During court proceedings at Newport Crown Court, it was revealed that his conversations progressed on a web camera where both could see each other.
The defendant would ask her, "Are you seeing me?
You clear?" as a way to check if she was alone.
Prosecutor Bethan Evans stated that Arr instructed her to "Get her kit off" and asked her to masturbate, while he did the same.
He also asked her to see her breasts and to bend over, during which he was naked and dancing around before masturbating while watching her.
He claimed that when they would eventually have sex, she would not get pregnant because he had undergone a vasectomy.
Their communication continued over six months, mainly between 2am and 5am to avoid detection.
He eventually blocked her and told her to contact him at age 18.
The victim only reported the abuse ten years later, leading to Arr's arrest.
During questioning, Arr admitted they became "boyfriend and girlfriend" and planned to run away at her 16th birthday, pleading guilty to multiple charges of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
The court sentenced him to four years and four months in prison, along with sex offender notification requirements and a restraining order.
The victim gave a personal statement describing how the abuse negatively impacted her education and mental health, including diagnoses of psychosis, anxiety, and depression.
She expressed gratitude for the justice but also concern about lifelong effects.
