GARY KING FROM OUNDLE JAILED FOR ONLINE GROOMING IN WEST MIDLANDS AND SPAIN

In a disturbing case that highlights the dangers of online grooming, Gary King, a youth cricket coach from Oundle, Northamptonshire, has been sentenced to prison after being caught attempting to exploit young girls through the internet. The incident unfolded when police from the West Midlands conducted a covert operation aimed at identifying individuals involved in online child exploitation. King, who was involved in organizing cricket tours and festivals for junior girls’ teams through his company, used fake instant messaging profiles to initiate explicit conversations with schoolgirls, attempting to groom them for sexual purposes.

One of the girls King targeted was not a real minor but a police officer working undercover as part of a specialized team in the West Midlands dedicated to catching online predators. This undercover officer engaged with King on social media platforms, and their interactions took place in September of the previous year and again in March of this year. Unbeknownst to King, he was communicating with law enforcement officers, which ultimately led to his arrest.

Authorities acted swiftly when they identified King’s attempts to groom minors. He was intercepted at Stansted Airport as he was preparing to leave for his holiday home in Spain, preventing him from fleeing the country. During the investigation, police seized his laptop, which contained evidence of sexual online chats with an unidentified 14-year-old girl. These conversations spanned over a week in 2017, revealing his attempts to engage her in sexual activities.

Further evidence was uncovered when a USB stick was recovered from King’s residence. The device contained indecent images of girls, which he had downloaded from the internet, adding to the severity of his offenses. During police interviews, King admitted to the charges but attempted to justify his actions by claiming they were part of “fantasy role play,” asserting that he had no intention of meeting any of the girls he contacted.

He faced multiple charges, including six counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity involving penetration, as well as a charge related to the possession of indecent images of children. On November 6, at Birmingham Crown Court, King was convicted and sentenced to 16 months in prison. Additionally, he was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for a period of ten years, reflecting the serious nature of his crimes involving online child grooming and exploitation.