BARRY WARNER SENTENCED IN BIRKDALE AFTER TARGETING 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL

In June 2021, Barry Warner, 51, of Bedford Road, Birkdale, engaged in a disturbing online exchange with a 13-year-old girl, sending her explicit sexual messages. When she reported his actions, Warner initially accused her of lying. He had contacted the girl and, once the conversations grew inappropriate, deliberately manipulated the situation by drawing her in further, which led to him incriminating himself.

Warner then panicked, denying everything to police—claiming he thought he was talking to the girl’s mother and dismissing the messages as 'just a bit of fun.' However, his false claims unraveled when it was evident from the messages that he knew her exact age.

A self-employed heating engineer, Warner pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child and was brought before Liverpool Crown Court for sentencing. Prosecutor Tom Watson highlighted that "the messages were manipulated by the defendant to become sexual in nature, such as asking to exchange pictures," adding that "the girl was astute enough to suspect he was a paedophile and gave him an opportunity to provide further evidence of this. She definitely had a level of awareness he was trying to draw her into sexual communications. She was one step ahead of him."

The court acknowledged the significant impact the incident had on the victim, who experienced increased anxiety, weight loss, and withdrawal. Judge Recorder Ian Unsworth QC stated, "From the outset you claimed you thought you were communicating with the girl’s mother. This flies in the face of the evidence. You deliberately targeted a young girl—it was pre-planned, predatory sexual behaviour. You asked her for pictures, and offered pictures of yourself. She was a vulnerable, fragile child. Your motives were purely sexual and the messages were of a vile nature. When the game was up, you suggested she was lying, pretended it was a joke, and then pretended you didn’t know the age of the victim when you knew you were dealing with a girl of 13."

Warner received a sentence of 12 months in prison, with half to be served and the remainder on licence. He was also placed on the sex offenders register and given a 10-year restraining order.