JOHN ANSCOMBE FROM BROTTON AND STOCKTON CAUGHT IN SHOCKING ONLINE SEX OFFENSES AGAINST CHILDREN

In a disturbing series of events that have shocked the communities of Brotton and Stockton, John Anscombe has once again found himself behind bars after a pattern of heinous online misconduct. The latest incident occurred just one month after his release from prison, highlighting a troubling inability to cease his illegal activities.

Anscombe, 40, of Londonderry Road in Stockton, was released on July 31 after serving a three-year sentence for a series of online offenses involving the exploitation of young girls. His criminal history reveals a pattern of predatory behavior dating back to 2015 and 2016, when he created fake online identities to lure girls as young as 11 years old. Using social media platforms such as ooVoo, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, he befriended these vulnerable minors, gaining their trust before coercing them into sending explicit images and videos.

The court heard that Anscombe employed aliases like David Porter, Ben Cooper, and Steven Wolf, even sending images of unrelated teenage boys to convince the girls he was their age. His manipulative tactics caused significant emotional trauma, with one victim reporting a breakdown of trust in men and damage to her familial relationships. The court was shown harrowing evidence, including messages and images, illustrating the extent of his online predation.

In September 2015, Anscombe first contacted an 11-year-old girl via Instagram and ooVoo. Despite her sending a single image of her body, her mother discovered the images and alerted police. Undeterred, Anscombe continued his campaign, targeting a 12-year-old girl between November and December 2015. He posed as Steven Wolf, claiming to be a 12-year-old boy from Leeds with a broken camera, which explained his lack of photos. He then pressured her into performing explicit acts and sent her graphic images.

His offending escalated as he approached another 12-year-old girl between December 2015 and January 2016. After revealing his true age, he persisted in requesting images, threatening her when she refused. In March 2016, he contacted yet another 12-year-old, suggesting they meet in East Cleveland, but she refused, prompting him to send explicit images of his own body.

Further offenses included approaching a girl on Facebook Messenger in April 2016, persuading her to send five explicit images, one of which was topless. Police investigations uncovered a cache of illegal images stored on memory cards hidden in his socks, along with a broken phone containing messages to some of the victims. The seized devices also contained numerous indecent images of children, including some as young as three years old.

When police arrested Anscombe, he remained silent during questioning. The evidence against him was overwhelming, including a Dell laptop, the confiscated memory cards, and the broken phone, all containing highly illegal material. His actions led to a conviction for multiple counts of inciting sexual activity with minors and possessing indecent images. He was sentenced to three years in prison and was subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Most recently, in August 2017, Anscombe posed as a teenage boy online to entice young girls into performing sexual acts and sending explicit images. He targeted girls aged 11 and 12, convincing them to engage in sexual activities and send nude photographs. His aliases included David Porter, Ben Cooper, and Steven Wolf. His manipulative tactics and persistent requests caused significant emotional distress among his victims, some of whom suffered long-term trust issues and family relationship breakdowns.

During the court proceedings, harrowing testimonies from four of the five victims detailed the extent of his exploitation. One girl’s mother discovered the images, leading to police intervention. The court heard that Anscombe’s devices contained a large number of indecent images, with some classified at the most serious level, involving children as young as three.

In July 2017, Anscombe pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including inciting minors to perform sexual acts, causing them to send explicit images, and possessing indecent images of children. The court ordered him to register as a sex offender and remanded him on bail until sentencing scheduled for July 31. His repeated offenses and the severity of his crimes underscore the ongoing danger he poses to the community and the urgent need for continued vigilance against online child exploitation.