CHRISTOPHER LEWIS FROM CLIFTONVILLE SENT TO PRISON FOR SEXUAL GROOMING AND TEXTING A YOUNG GIRL

Currently living at Flat 9, 2 Churchfields, Margate, , CT9 1PA, Margate, KENT, GB

In November 2012, Christopher Lewis, a resident of Surrey Road in Cliftonville, was sentenced to prison for his involvement in sending inappropriate and sexually explicit messages to a young girl. The case drew significant attention due to the nature of the communications and the fact that Lewis, a 30-year-old unemployed chef, had continued his illicit behavior despite warnings from the victim's mother.

According to reports, the mother of the teenage girl had explicitly warned Lewis to cease his inappropriate contact. She sent him a message stating, "Stop texting my daughter. It’s all wrong what you are putting in the text messages to her. If you don’t stop doing this I’m going to get in touch with the police." Despite this clear warning, Lewis persisted in his actions, engaging in what is commonly referred to as 'sexting' with the minor.

Lewis’s refusal to heed the warning ultimately led to his arrest. He faced charges of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to arrange a meeting for sexual purposes. During the trial at Canterbury Crown Court, Lewis denied the allegations, claiming he had been "set up." However, the jury did not accept his defense and found him guilty on both counts.

The court proceedings revealed that Lewis had made regular contact with the vulnerable teenager, fully aware of her age and the fact that she was a minor. The judge, Recorder Alexander Milne QC, emphasized the gravity of Lewis’s actions, stating, "You made regular contact with this child and you did so knowing she was a vulnerable teenager who would be flattered by the attentions of an older man. Each time you turned the subject of conversation to sex – and you continued even when you were properly warned off by her mother."

In sentencing, Lewis was handed an 18-month prison term. The judge condemned his behavior as sexual grooming, highlighting the potential harm inflicted on the young girl and her family. He remarked, "But I will not dwell on what might have happened had this gone further," underscoring the seriousness of the case.

During the trial, Lewis’s defense attorney, Pamela Brain, argued that her client was suffering while awaiting sentencing, claiming he had found prison life difficult and had been subjected to bullying. She also stated that Lewis’s partner had been evicted from their flat due to the case and was now living rough, having reportedly been assaulted.

Despite these claims, the judge criticized Lewis’s attitude throughout the proceedings, describing him as "self-pitying and self-justifying." He noted that Lewis showed no real insight into the impact of his actions on the victim or her family. The court’s decision reflected the serious nature of his misconduct, which the judge characterized as sexual grooming, although he chose not to speculate on what might have occurred had the situation escalated further.