CHRISTOPHER CROOKS FROM EASINGTON JAILED FOR SEXUAL GROOMING OF YORK TEENAGER

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the North-East community, Christopher James Crooks, a man residing in Easington near Loftus, has been sentenced to prison for engaging in a disturbing sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl from York. The incident, which unfolded over social media, highlights the dangers lurking on online platforms and the importance of vigilance when it comes to internet safety.

According to court proceedings, Crooks, who was 23 years old at the time of the offences in 2012, used the social networking site Tagged to initiate contact with the young girl from York. The court heard that Crooks provided false information about his age, claiming he was 15, a detail he later admitted he could not correct on his profile. Despite this, he continued to communicate with the girl, exchanging phone numbers, texts, and ultimately arranging to meet in York in September of the previous year.

Prosecutor Anthony Dunne explained that Crooks, of Glebe Gardens, Easington, near Loftus, began the online interaction by revealing his true age before planning a face-to-face meeting. Crooks drove from his home in Easington to York, where he met the girl in a secluded woodland area off the A64. The court was told that Crooks initially kissed and touched her, but she made it clear she did not want to engage in sexual activity. Despite her objections, Crooks sent her a message later that night, stating that “it would mean a lot” if he could take her virginity.

The following day, the pair returned to the same woodland location, where they engaged in sexual activity. The girl’s parents became aware of the situation after her school friends expressed concern, prompting them to alert the police. Crooks was subsequently arrested and charged with multiple offences.

During the court proceedings, Crooks pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming. His defense lawyer, Kevin Blount, acknowledged that Crooks understood an imprisonment was unavoidable but argued that his client had been transparent about his age from the beginning and claimed that the sexual acts were consensual.

Judge Roger Ibbotson sentenced Crooks to five years in prison for the sexual activity with a minor, with an additional one-year sentence for each of the three grooming offences, all to be served concurrently. The judge expressed skepticism about Crooks’ claim that he had accidentally listed his age as 15 on the website, stating, “I’m not convinced by the assertion that you accidentally said your age to be 15 on the website, though I accept that you did make it clear to the victim what your true age was when you actually met her.”

In addition to his prison term, Crooks, who has already served 193 days in custody since his arrest, will be placed on the sex offenders register and face an indefinite ban from working with children. A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police emphasized the seriousness of the case, warning social media users to remain vigilant. She stated, “We hope the outcome encourages other victims to come forward knowing that the police and criminal justice system take all cases of this nature very seriously. The case highlights why we all need to be vigilant when chatting on the internet. The internet is a good thing when used cautiously, but young people should never meet up with anyone they do not know. Even adults should only meet new people in very public places and even then, they should take a friend with them if they can.”