BRIAN AINSWORTH OF LOW BENTHAM SENTENCED IN YORK FOR ONLINE CHILD SEX OFFENCES
| Red Rose Database
Low Bentham Rapist
In a significant case that highlights ongoing concerns about online child exploitation, Brian Ainsworth, also known as Brian Beagan, a 53-year-old resident of Main Street in Low Bentham, has been sentenced to three years in prison at York Crown Court. The sentencing took place on Wednesday, July 26, following a guilty plea entered on May 17, where Ainsworth admitted to multiple serious offences related to online child sex crimes.
These offences included attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity, trying to cause a child to view images of sexual acts, engaging in sexual communication with a minor, and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that had previously been imposed on him. The court heard that his recent conduct was a blatant violation of the order, which was originally issued after he served a 22-month jail term in 2019 for similar offences.
Details of the case reveal that Ainsworth had contacted a girl he believed to be 13 years old through online channels. Despite being aware of her age, he quickly shifted the conversation into sexual territory, encouraging her to perform sexual acts, discussing pornography, and sending her indecent images of himself. However, it was later revealed that the girl he thought he was speaking to was actually an adult member of the paedophile hunting team known as 'Protection For The Innocent.' The decoy, who went by the name Tommy Decoy, was pretending to be a 13-year-old girl.
The incident was reported to police on the evening of May 15, 2023. Ainsworth was arrested in the early hours of May 16 and brought into custody. The following day, he appeared in court and pleaded guilty to all charges. He was remanded into custody and, during his sentencing, was ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely and was issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order that remains in effect until further notice.
Historical context of Ainsworth’s criminal behavior shows a troubling pattern. In 2019, just two years after being subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, he attempted to contact an online profile he believed belonged to a 13-year-old girl. He sent numerous highly sexualized messages with the clear intent of engaging her in sexual activity. It was later discovered that the profile was a decoy created by the same paedophile hunting team, and Ainsworth’s real identity was uncovered through the UK database linked to the operation.
During the investigation, the team also found that Ainsworth had been sharing live streams of two 10-year-old twins who were clearly victims of sexual abuse. Despite using a fake name to avoid detection, his true identity was traced, leading to his arrest at the scene. The UK database’s findings also revealed that Ainsworth had previously received a suspended sentence in 2016 for making indecent images of children, some of which were classified as Category A, indicating the most serious forms of abuse, including images depicting rape and torture of children, including a six-month-old baby.
In April 2019, Ainsworth, then 48 and originally from Kendal in Cumbria before moving to Lancaster, was convicted of similar offences. He admitted to inciting a 13-year-old girl into sexual activity and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. His prior conviction involved making and possessing indecent images of children, with some images showing the most severe forms of abuse. He was sentenced to 22 months in prison and was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years, along with a new ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Throughout his criminal history, Ainsworth has demonstrated a pattern of predatory behavior, with authorities emphasizing the importance of ongoing monitoring and restrictions to protect potential victims. His latest sentencing underscores the continued efforts of law enforcement and paedophile hunting teams to combat online child exploitation and hold offenders accountable for their actions.
These offences included attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity, trying to cause a child to view images of sexual acts, engaging in sexual communication with a minor, and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that had previously been imposed on him. The court heard that his recent conduct was a blatant violation of the order, which was originally issued after he served a 22-month jail term in 2019 for similar offences.
Details of the case reveal that Ainsworth had contacted a girl he believed to be 13 years old through online channels. Despite being aware of her age, he quickly shifted the conversation into sexual territory, encouraging her to perform sexual acts, discussing pornography, and sending her indecent images of himself. However, it was later revealed that the girl he thought he was speaking to was actually an adult member of the paedophile hunting team known as 'Protection For The Innocent.' The decoy, who went by the name Tommy Decoy, was pretending to be a 13-year-old girl.
The incident was reported to police on the evening of May 15, 2023. Ainsworth was arrested in the early hours of May 16 and brought into custody. The following day, he appeared in court and pleaded guilty to all charges. He was remanded into custody and, during his sentencing, was ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely and was issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order that remains in effect until further notice.
Historical context of Ainsworth’s criminal behavior shows a troubling pattern. In 2019, just two years after being subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, he attempted to contact an online profile he believed belonged to a 13-year-old girl. He sent numerous highly sexualized messages with the clear intent of engaging her in sexual activity. It was later discovered that the profile was a decoy created by the same paedophile hunting team, and Ainsworth’s real identity was uncovered through the UK database linked to the operation.
During the investigation, the team also found that Ainsworth had been sharing live streams of two 10-year-old twins who were clearly victims of sexual abuse. Despite using a fake name to avoid detection, his true identity was traced, leading to his arrest at the scene. The UK database’s findings also revealed that Ainsworth had previously received a suspended sentence in 2016 for making indecent images of children, some of which were classified as Category A, indicating the most serious forms of abuse, including images depicting rape and torture of children, including a six-month-old baby.
In April 2019, Ainsworth, then 48 and originally from Kendal in Cumbria before moving to Lancaster, was convicted of similar offences. He admitted to inciting a 13-year-old girl into sexual activity and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. His prior conviction involved making and possessing indecent images of children, with some images showing the most severe forms of abuse. He was sentenced to 22 months in prison and was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years, along with a new ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Throughout his criminal history, Ainsworth has demonstrated a pattern of predatory behavior, with authorities emphasizing the importance of ongoing monitoring and restrictions to protect potential victims. His latest sentencing underscores the continued efforts of law enforcement and paedophile hunting teams to combat online child exploitation and hold offenders accountable for their actions.