THORNABY MAN ELLIOT CLAXTON SENTENCED FOR GROOMING TEENAGE GIRL IN TEESSIDE
In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community, Elliot Claxton, a 22-year-old resident of Balmoral Avenue in Thornaby, was convicted of grooming a young girl through social media platforms.The incident, which took place over several months in 2015, involved Claxton engaging in a series of manipulative and exploitative actions aimed at a schoolgirl who was underage at the time.
According to court proceedings at Teesside Crown Court, Claxton used popular messaging apps Snapchat and Kik to communicate with the girl, who was just 15 or 16 years old during the period of the abuse.
Prosecutor Harry Hadfield detailed how Claxton persistently asked the girl for explicit photographs, offering monetary incentives in exchange.
From June 2015 through November 2015, Claxton repeatedly requested topless images from her, making threats that he knew her whereabouts if she refused to comply.
He promised to pay her £10 for each high-quality picture and increased the offer to £15, then £20 if the images were videos.
Furthermore, Claxton sent the girl explicit photographs of himself and even offered to buy her gifts and shoes, attempting to entice her further.
During their conversations, he claimed to have a six-year-old daughter and expressed a desire to meet her at the Metro Centre in Gateshead.
He also made a shocking proposition, stating he would give her £100 if she agreed to have sex with him.
The court heard that Claxton’s actions had a profound and damaging impact on the victim.
A statement read aloud in court from the girl’s mother described how her daughter “crumbled before her eyes,” with her education suffering significantly.
The emotional toll was so severe that the girl even threatened to take her own life, highlighting the devastating effects of Claxton’s grooming.
In court, Claxton pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.
His sentencing included a 10-month prison term, which was suspended for two years, meaning he will not serve time unless he commits another offence within that period.
Additionally, Judge Sean Morris imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) for five years and mandated that Claxton sign the sex offenders register for a decade.
Claxton is scheduled to appear again at Teesside Crown Court on February 23 for further proceedings related to his case.
