CORY BAPTISTE FROM PURFLEET JAILED FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES USING FAKE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS IN SPAIN

In October 2016, Cory Baptiste, a 24-year-old former teacher from Purfleet, was sentenced to imprisonment for his involvement in serious sexual offences committed through the use of deceptive social media profiles. Baptiste, who previously resided on Fanns Rise in Purfleet, was convicted of multiple charges related to exploiting online platforms to lure and engage with minors for sexual purposes.

He was initially sentenced to four years in prison; however, this was subsequently reduced to two years and eight months after he entered an early guilty plea. The offences for which he was convicted include five counts of abusing a position of trust. Specifically, Baptiste admitted to inciting sexual activity with a boy aged between 13 and 17, and similarly with a girl in the same age range. Additionally, he confessed to causing a child under 13 to watch a sexual act, as well as causing a child aged 13 to 17 to observe such acts.

Furthermore, Baptiste admitted to failing to appear in court on August 12, which led to additional consequences. Following his initial arrest, he absconded to Spain, evading authorities for a period. His flight was eventually curtailed when he was apprehended in Barcelona on October 6, during a coordinated operation led by the Spanish National Police. This operation was supported by the National Crime Agency and Essex Police, highlighting the collaborative effort to bring him to justice.

Prior to his arrest, Baptiste was employed as a teacher at the Ockendon Academy, located on Erriff Drive in South Ockendon. His failure to answer bail resulted in an additional four months added to his sentence, bringing the total imprisonment period to three years. His arrest took place on January 6 of the same year, following an investigation initiated by Essex Police’s Online Investigation Team. The inquiry was launched after a referral from the National Crime Agency, which uncovered that Baptiste had used fake social media accounts—under the aliases Daniel Jenkins, Danielle Mason, and Dan Bounce Jenny—to carry out his illicit activities.

His use of platforms such as Facebook and Snapchat to create these fictitious profiles facilitated his attempts to manipulate and exploit minors online, leading to his eventual conviction and imprisonment. The case underscores the dangers posed by online grooming and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to combat such crimes.