SEACOMBE PAEDOPHILE BENJAMIN GOODRUM SENTENCED FOR CHILD RAPE AND GROOMING IN LIVERPOOL

In February 2021, a disturbing case of child sexual abuse came to light involving Benjamin Goodrum, a 22-year-old man from Seacombe. The horrifying sequence of events was uncovered after the victim’s parents discovered inappropriate messages on their daughter’s WhatsApp account, revealing a pattern of grooming and abuse by Goodrum.

According to the prosecution, led by Ian Harris, the messages included explicit requests from Goodrum for the girl to send him a photograph of her bra. The messages painted a disturbing picture of manipulation, with Goodrum exploiting the girl’s vulnerability to satisfy his twisted desires. The situation escalated when her mother confronted Goodrum, who then admitted to having touched her daughter inappropriately on two separate occasions.

Following this revelation, law enforcement authorities were contacted, leading to Goodrum’s arrest. During police interviews, Goodrum also confided in an NHS worker that he had touched the girl “once or twice,” further implicating him in the case. However, it was the victim herself who provided the most detailed account, describing how Goodrum had groomed her through a series of text messages for what she described as “a campaign of sexual abuse.”

Investigations revealed that Goodrum had repeatedly texted the girl, asking her to exchange explicit images. When she refused, he threatened to “do stuff” to her if she did not comply, effectively blackmailing her. The girl expressed her fear, believing that Goodrum wanted to engage in sexual activity, especially after he had previously touched her inappropriately. The situation worsened when Goodrum sent her a photo of his genitals and a video of himself performing a sex act, which made her feel “sick.”

Despite her initial willingness to send a nude photo of herself in her bra, she later tried to ignore Goodrum’s persistent messages. Nevertheless, he continued to pester her, ultimately leading to multiple instances of molestation and rape. At one point, Goodrum took her phone and deleted some of his messages, but police were still able to recover many of the incriminating texts.

Prosecutor Harris described Goodrum’s messages as “demanding in nature and persistent,” emphasizing that he used the girl “as a sexual toy” and warned her of consequences if she told anyone about the abuse. The girl repeatedly told him to stop, but he ignored her pleas, calling her a “slag” and continuing his assault despite her protests.

Goodrum remained silent during police interviews but later filled out a court form denying the allegations, claiming that the abuse “didn’t happen.” Nonetheless, he was charged and pleaded guilty to multiple counts, including three counts of rape, three counts of attempted rape, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of sexual assault of a child, four counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual activity with a child.

The girl’s mother described her daughter’s ongoing suffering, noting that she now experiences flashbacks and nightmares as a result of the trauma inflicted by Goodrum.

Judge Menary sentenced Goodrum to a term of 10 years in prison, with an additional year on license. The judge described him as “an offender of particular concern” and emphasized that Goodrum would only be eligible for release before completing his sentence if a parole board determines he no longer poses a risk. Furthermore, Goodrum is required to register as a sex offender and must adhere to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, ensuring ongoing monitoring and restrictions to protect the community from further harm.