DARREN OWENS GROOMS TEENAGE GIRL IN LEONARD STANLEY: POLICE AND COURT ACTION FOLLOW ONLINE PREDATION

In July 2010, a disturbing case of online sexual grooming came to light involving Darren Owens, a 34-year-old man from Grange Close, Bath Road, Leonard Stanley. Owens was found guilty of engaging in inappropriate and predatory behavior towards a teenage girl he met through the internet. Last week, he was sentenced to a 12-month prison term, suspended for two years, after admitting to charges of sexual grooming, highlighting the serious nature of his offenses.

The victim, a teenager from Gloucester, cannot be publicly identified due to legal restrictions. Her father, speaking anonymously to The Citizen, recounted the harrowing moment he discovered the extent of Owens' manipulation and grooming. He explained that his daughter was only 13 years old when she first began communicating with Owens online, initially through a dating website that was exclusively for adults over 18. Like many of her peers at school, she had signed up for the site for entertainment, unaware of the dangers lurking behind such platforms.

According to her father, Owens first contacted her on this site, and their communication later moved to MSN Messenger. Despite her young age, she told Owens she was 15, which he accepted. During their conversations, Owens asked her explicit sexual questions and even requested her to show her chest via webcam, revealing his sick and predatory mindset. Her father described Owens as a "sick man" for his actions.

Owens explicitly told the girl that they would meet in person and have sex, which he planned to do in September of the previous year. The teenage girl, driven by curiosity and perhaps naivety, decided to meet him. Her father recounted that he was unexpectedly late leaving work that day, and by chance, he drove past his daughter as she was heading to meet Owens. He noticed she was in an area that was off-limits to her, which raised suspicion.

He further explained that he returned home and questioned his daughter’s sister about her whereabouts. She had told her sister she was going to her boyfriend’s house, which was in the opposite direction. When he called his daughter, she asked if he wanted her to come home, prompting him to go out again. He found her at a lay-by, where Owens had driven up to her. Owens allegedly asked her if she wanted to get into his car. When she saw her father approaching, Owens drove away. The girl claimed Owens had been asking for directions, but her father sensed something was amiss.

To better understand the situation, her father had set up a recording of her MSN conversations, which he reviewed after the incident. This revealed the extent of Owens’ inappropriate behavior and the danger his actions posed. The family then sat down with the teenager to explain what they knew, and she gradually filled in the details of her interactions with Owens.

Following this discovery, the family contacted the police. The girl provided police statements and video recordings, which helped her realize the gravity of what had happened and what could have happened that day. The experience was traumatic, and she was visibly upset, reflecting on how naive she had been and how close she came to a potentially much worse outcome.

Her father shared that the incident shook her profoundly, and she was left contemplating her vulnerability. Despite her distress, he reassured her that she had done nothing wrong, emphasizing her innocence and naivety. He noted that she no longer spends as much time on the computer, especially on platforms like Facebook and MSN, as a precaution.

During the court proceedings, Judge William Hart sentenced Owens to a 12-month prison term, suspended for two years. Owens was also ordered to participate in the Thames Valley sex offenders programme, register as a sex offender for ten years, and was subject to a two-year supervision order. Additionally, he was disqualified from working with children and ordered to pay £500 in prosecution costs.

Sergeant John Skilling from Gloucestershire Police’s schools unit emphasized the risks associated with online activity. He highlighted dangers such as sexual exploitation, cyberbullying, exposure to extreme content, and other online threats like loan sharks, political extremism, and sites promoting self-harm or eating disorders. Skilling urged parents to become more aware of their children’s internet use, emphasizing that understanding behavior is more important than technical knowledge. He advised that parents should seek advice if they are unsure and maintain open communication with their children, police, and educational authorities to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.