GARETH ROBERTS FROM WHITECROSS CAUGHT IN PREDATORY PLOT IN WARRINGTON AND STOCKTON HEATH

In October 2020, a disturbing case emerged involving Gareth Roberts, a resident of Whitecross, Warrington, who was convicted of attempting to engage in sexual activities with a minor after arranging to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex. The case was brought to light through a sting operation conducted by paedophile hunters, which ultimately led to Roberts's arrest and subsequent sentencing.

According to court proceedings held at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, October 26, Roberts, aged 26, engaged in a series of online conversations with what he believed was a teenage girl. These exchanges took place on the Kik messaging platform, where a 17-year-old acting as a decoy set up a fake account in January of the previous year. The decoy posed as a 13-year-old girl, and within three days, Roberts initiated contact using the username GarethR.

During their online chats, Roberts made inappropriate inquiries, including asking if the girl was still wearing her school uniform and expressing a desire to 'have a look.' When the decoy sent a photograph of herself in her school attire, Roberts responded with a lewd comment, saying, “Looks sexy.” He then proceeded to suggest a meeting, asking if she would like to meet him and proposing that he come to her home immediately, especially after being told she was alone at the time.

The court heard that Roberts detailed his intentions for sexual acts he wanted to perform, describing in graphic terms the vile acts he planned to carry out. He also requested explicit images from the girl and sent videos and images of himself performing sexual acts. The conversation escalated to the point where Roberts arranged to meet the girl at a Subway restaurant in Stockton Heath, with the plan that they would go back to her empty house to engage in sexual activity.

Roberts even mentioned bringing underwear for her to wear, along with alcohol and cigarettes, indicating a premeditated intent to facilitate the encounter. However, at the last minute, he canceled the meeting, claiming that his father was ill and hospitalized, an excuse that was later proven to be false. Despite the cancellation, the sexually charged messages persisted, with Roberts sending a video of a woman performing a sex act on a man and telling the decoy that she would do the same.

Following the failed meeting, Roberts blocked the decoy account, but the messages had already been handed over to the police. The evidence collected included the explicit conversations and videos, which played a crucial role in the case. Roberts admitted to attempting sexual communication with a child, trying to arrange a child sex act, and attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity.

In sentencing, Judge Rachel Smith described Roberts’s actions as highly serious, emphasizing that he intended to meet the girl for sexual purposes. Although he lost his nerve at the last moment and canceled the meeting, the court noted his efforts to begin addressing his offending behavior. Nonetheless, the judge made it clear that the offences crossed the threshold for custody, resulting in Roberts being sentenced to two years and four months in prison.

In addition to his prison sentence, Roberts was subjected to a five-year sexual harm prevention order and a ten-year notification requirement, which mandates him to inform authorities of any changes in his personal details. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge. Furthermore, the court ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the laptop used in the commission of the offences, aiming to prevent any further misuse of the device in relation to his crimes.