CASEY DELANEY SENTENCED IN SWINDON FOR GROOMING AND PLANNED SEXUAL ASSAULT

A man identified as Casey Delaney has been handed an eight-year prison sentence after being convicted of planning to sexually assault a 12-year-old girl he had been grooming online. The incident unfolded through social media interactions, specifically on Snapchat, where Delaney, aged 30 and residing on Denmark Close in Luton, Bedfordshire, established contact with the young girl in July 2023.

Over the course of several months, Delaney engaged in manipulative behavior, gradually coercing the girl into sending him indecent images of herself. His sinister intentions became increasingly clear as he made arrangements to meet her in person, planning to stay at a hotel in Swindon, Wiltshire, with the clear aim of sexually assaulting her. The police were alerted to his plans after a concerned friend of the victim noticed him walking into a hotel with the girl and promptly reported this to authorities.

Following his arrest on February 3, 2024, Wiltshire Police uncovered messages on Delaney’s phone that explicitly indicated his intentions to have sexual intercourse with the young girl. These messages confirmed the malicious nature of his plans and his premeditated approach to exploiting the victim.

During the sentencing hearing at Swindon Crown Court on Friday, the judge not only sentenced Delaney to eight years in prison but also imposed a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. This order prohibits him from making any contact with the girl in the future and ensures that he will remain on the Sex Offender’s Register for life, reflecting the severity of his actions.

The victim’s mother provided emotional testimony in court, revealing that her daughter had exhibited distressing changes in behavior during the summer of 2023. She explained that these changes were later linked to the grooming activities of Delaney, which the family had not initially suspected. The mother expressed her heartbreak, stating that her daughter felt unable to confide in her and had become so overwhelmed by despair that she attempted to take her own life. The family mourned the loss of her innocence, which they attributed directly to Delaney’s manipulative and predatory conduct.

Wiltshire Police’s Detective Constable Geoff Newnham described the grooming process as meticulous and calculated. He emphasized that Delaney’s actions had caused enormous trauma to the young girl and her family, highlighting the devastating impact of online exploitation. While the prison sentence might offer some measure of justice and relief, the officer acknowledged the lasting scars left by Delaney’s predatory behavior, which has inflicted deep emotional wounds on all involved.