ROCHDALE PAEDOPHILE JASON FOSTER'S SENTENCE DOUBLED FOR GROOMING AUTISTIC BOY IN SHOCKING CASE
In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Rochdale, Jason Foster, a 46-year-old bus driver, has seen his prison sentence significantly increased following his conviction for a series of heinous crimes involving a vulnerable autistic teenager.Initially, Foster was sentenced to two years in prison at Manchester Crown Court in June 2014 after he pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual activity with a child and three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual acts.
However, this lenient sentence was challenged and ultimately doubled to four years by the judges at London’s Criminal Appeal Court, who deemed the original punishment 'unduly lenient' given the gravity of his offenses.
The court heard that Foster, who was employed as a bus driver for Rochdale-based Almin Travel, had meticulously groomed the young boy over a period of twelve months.
His method involved giving the teenager sweets and showering him with gifts, including chocolates like Freddo bars placed under a straw hat on the bus seat, as a means of establishing trust and affection.
As their relationship progressed, Foster purchased more expensive items such as vodka and T-shirts, further entrenching his manipulative tactics.
According to court reports, Foster’s grooming extended beyond physical gestures to online interactions.
He engaged in a series of inappropriate Facebook chats, during which he asked the boy to be his 'boyfriend' and eventually persuaded him to send an explicit photograph of himself.
Foster’s sickening behavior escalated when he sent a lewd picture of himself and discussed having sex with the teenager, revealing a pattern of predatory conduct.
The abuse was uncovered when the boy confided in his mother and another adult about the messages he had received.
This led to police intervention, during which officers found a straw hat containing sweets on Foster’s bus and arrested him.
The victim’s mother provided a heartbreaking victim impact statement, describing the profound and lasting damage caused by Foster’s actions.
She detailed how her son had suffered nightmares, engaged in self-harming behaviors such as injecting syringes into his eyeballs, and was so traumatized that he now sleeps with a metal extension of a vacuum cleaner in fear of Foster entering their home.
Foster’s defense argued that he struggled to comprehend the severity of his crimes, claiming that he believed his relationship with the boy was caring rather than malicious.
His lawyer, Guy Mathieson, stated that Foster had become 'besotted' with the teenager and found it difficult to accept that his actions were sinister.
Prosecutors, including Jeremy Wright QC, representing the Attorney General, contended that the original sentence was far too short considering the repeated and serious nature of Foster’s offenses.
Lord Justice Fulford, presiding over the appeal, emphasized that the case involved deliberate grooming, beginning with flattery and gifts, and culminating in serious sexual abuse.
He highlighted that the victim was targeted precisely because of his vulnerability, which made him more susceptible to Foster’s manipulations.
Lord Justice Fulford remarked, “This, in our judgment, was extremely serious offending, most particularly because the victim was deliberately targeted on account of his vulnerability, which made him more likely to be compliant.
This case bears all the hallmarks of deliberate grooming, beginning with flattery, gifts and attention, and thereafter developing over time into serious sexual abuse.
If the victim hadn’t reported the matter when he did, it is inevitable this abuse would have developed in seriousness.
Selecting a victim of such vulnerability is a particular aggravating feature in this case.” In light of these considerations, the judges increased Foster’s sentence to four years, underscoring the need for justice and the importance of deterring such predatory behavior in the community of Rochdale and beyond.
