GARY McBRIDE FROM BOOTLE AND LIVERPOOL CROWN COURT ADMITS TO CHILD SEX OFFENCES AND POSSESSION OF CHILD ABUSE IMAGES
| Red Rose Database
Bootle Child Sexual Abuser
In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Bootle and the wider Merseyside area, Gary McBride, a man with a troubling history linked to law enforcement, has admitted to heinous crimes involving a young girl and the possession of indecent images of children. The proceedings took place at Liverpool Crown Court, where the details of McBride’s criminal activities were laid bare.
Gary McBride, aged 45 and previously a police officer with the Merseyside Police, has a long history of criminal conduct related to child exploitation. He resigned from the police force in 2004 amid investigations into his involvement in distributing and downloading child abuse images. His criminal record includes a nine-month jail sentence handed down in 2005 for visiting chatrooms and sharing approximately 40 images depicting children being sexually abused. These images ranged from very young children to those as young as three years old, highlighting the severity of his offenses.
Most recently, McBride appeared before the court to face new charges. He pleaded guilty to grooming a 12-year-old girl and engaging in sexual activity with her in February of this year. Additionally, he admitted to breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order that had been imposed on him when he was sentenced in 2005. The court was informed that McBride, who resides on Greenfield Road in Old Swan, appeared in the dock wearing a grey sweatshirt, with a heavily built physique and a balding head. Throughout the proceedings, he only confirmed his name and address and entered his pleas, denying a further charge of abducting the girl, which was ordered to be struck from the record.
During the hearing, the court heard that upon his arrest, McBride claimed he was unaware of the girl’s true age. When Judge Andrew Menary, QC, inquired about what age McBride believed the girl to be, his defense lawyer, Nicholas Archer, stated that McBride believed she was 18, asserting that she had told him so. However, the prosecution, led by Cheryl Mottram, clarified that the girl appeared her age and that there was no reasonable doubt she was under 16 or 17. The judge noted the seriousness of the case and adjourned sentencing until March 30, requesting a pre-sentence report to assess the appropriate punishment.
McBride, previously residing on William Morris Street in Bootle, was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing. The court also revisited his past criminal conduct, revealing that he developed an interest in indecent images of children while still a serving police officer. His resignation came on the day he was arrested in connection with these offenses. The police investigation into his activities was initiated after Staffordshire officers looked into a man suspected of indecently assaulting a teenage girl. During this investigation, it was discovered that McBride had emailed the suspect child abuse images, some of which depicted children as young as three years old.
In 2005, McBride pleaded guilty to six charges of making indecent images of children and six charges of distributing these images. He explained that his descent into viewing such material was linked to personal difficulties, including a messy divorce, which he claimed contributed to his actions. At that time, he was involved in investigating serious gangland crime in Liverpool, adding a disturbing layer to his criminal profile.
His criminal record also includes a previous conviction in May 2005, when he was sentenced to nine months in prison for downloading and sharing child abuse images. The court, presided over by Judge Maureen Roddy, also ordered him to register as a sex offender for ten years. The investigation that led to his arrest was triggered by a police probe into a man suspected of indecently assaulting a teenage girl, during which it was discovered that McBride had exchanged emails containing child pornography with the suspect. His home was raided on November 3 of the previous year, and two computers were seized and analyzed, revealing the extent of his illegal activities.
This case underscores the disturbing pattern of behavior exhibited by Gary McBride, a man who once served as a police officer but whose actions have caused significant harm and concern within the community of Bootle and beyond.
Gary McBride, aged 45 and previously a police officer with the Merseyside Police, has a long history of criminal conduct related to child exploitation. He resigned from the police force in 2004 amid investigations into his involvement in distributing and downloading child abuse images. His criminal record includes a nine-month jail sentence handed down in 2005 for visiting chatrooms and sharing approximately 40 images depicting children being sexually abused. These images ranged from very young children to those as young as three years old, highlighting the severity of his offenses.
Most recently, McBride appeared before the court to face new charges. He pleaded guilty to grooming a 12-year-old girl and engaging in sexual activity with her in February of this year. Additionally, he admitted to breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order that had been imposed on him when he was sentenced in 2005. The court was informed that McBride, who resides on Greenfield Road in Old Swan, appeared in the dock wearing a grey sweatshirt, with a heavily built physique and a balding head. Throughout the proceedings, he only confirmed his name and address and entered his pleas, denying a further charge of abducting the girl, which was ordered to be struck from the record.
During the hearing, the court heard that upon his arrest, McBride claimed he was unaware of the girl’s true age. When Judge Andrew Menary, QC, inquired about what age McBride believed the girl to be, his defense lawyer, Nicholas Archer, stated that McBride believed she was 18, asserting that she had told him so. However, the prosecution, led by Cheryl Mottram, clarified that the girl appeared her age and that there was no reasonable doubt she was under 16 or 17. The judge noted the seriousness of the case and adjourned sentencing until March 30, requesting a pre-sentence report to assess the appropriate punishment.
McBride, previously residing on William Morris Street in Bootle, was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing. The court also revisited his past criminal conduct, revealing that he developed an interest in indecent images of children while still a serving police officer. His resignation came on the day he was arrested in connection with these offenses. The police investigation into his activities was initiated after Staffordshire officers looked into a man suspected of indecently assaulting a teenage girl. During this investigation, it was discovered that McBride had emailed the suspect child abuse images, some of which depicted children as young as three years old.
In 2005, McBride pleaded guilty to six charges of making indecent images of children and six charges of distributing these images. He explained that his descent into viewing such material was linked to personal difficulties, including a messy divorce, which he claimed contributed to his actions. At that time, he was involved in investigating serious gangland crime in Liverpool, adding a disturbing layer to his criminal profile.
His criminal record also includes a previous conviction in May 2005, when he was sentenced to nine months in prison for downloading and sharing child abuse images. The court, presided over by Judge Maureen Roddy, also ordered him to register as a sex offender for ten years. The investigation that led to his arrest was triggered by a police probe into a man suspected of indecently assaulting a teenage girl, during which it was discovered that McBride had exchanged emails containing child pornography with the suspect. His home was raided on November 3 of the previous year, and two computers were seized and analyzed, revealing the extent of his illegal activities.
This case underscores the disturbing pattern of behavior exhibited by Gary McBride, a man who once served as a police officer but whose actions have caused significant harm and concern within the community of Bootle and beyond.