HYDE MAN CRAIG O’NEILL SENTENCED FOR GROOMING AND CHILD ABDUCTION IN MANCHESTER

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the Hyde community, Craig O’Neill, a 26-year-old man, has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including child abduction and the possession of indecent images of children. The incident began when a mother from Hyde took proactive steps to locate her 14-year-old daughter, who had been groomed by O’Neill through social media.

According to court reports, the mother discovered her daughter’s whereabouts by examining her Facebook profile. She found a message her daughter had sent to a friend, which revealed her location. Acting swiftly, she and her husband went door-to-door along O’Neill’s street in Hyde, searching for their missing child. Their efforts paid off when they found her in O’Neill’s home, where she was being kept against her will.

O’Neill was caught in his bedroom as her father entered to retrieve his daughter. The police were called immediately, and O’Neill was arrested on the spot. During police interviews, he admitted to knowing her age at the time of their meetings, which took place in June 2013. The court heard that O’Neill had met the girl twice, during which he gave her £400 in cash on the first occasion and bought her clothing, pyjamas, and a pair of £100 Ugg boots in Manchester. The girl had initially told her mother she was meeting a friend at McDonald’s, but instead, she went to O’Neill’s house, where they consumed vodka and cannabis.

Prosecutor Andy Smith explained that the girl’s mother became increasingly anxious when her daughter expressed a desire to stay out late and subsequently turned off her phone. Her mother then alerted friends, and a message sent via Facebook revealed her location on O’Neill’s street. Although police officers initially did not know which house O’Neill occupied, the following morning, the girl’s parents returned to the street after conducting further research on her Facebook account. They knocked on several doors until a neighbor directed them to O’Neill’s residence.

When O’Neill answered the door dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, the parents recognized him from the girl’s Facebook profile. Her father immediately pushed open the bedroom door, where he found his daughter wearing the pyjamas O’Neill had bought her. The police were called again, and O’Neill was taken into custody. During questioning, he accepted that he was aware of her age at the time of their meetings.

Further investigation of O’Neill’s computer revealed a disturbing collection of indecent images of children and extreme pornography. Although there was no evidence of sexual contact, Judge John Potter stated that O’Neill was “very close to getting what he desired… sexual gratification” and remarked that his actions that night appeared to be deliberate attempts to encourage the girl’s involvement.

O’Neill’s defense lawyer, Lewis Bretts, acknowledged his client’s remorse and emphasized that he understood the seriousness of his offenses. As part of his sentence, O’Neill was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and was subjected to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order to monitor his activities upon release. The case serves as a stark warning to parents about the dangers of social media platforms like Facebook, especially in safeguarding vulnerable children from predators lurking online.