LUKE GREENWOOD BANNED FROM FACEBOOK IN SOWERBY BRIDGE JAILED FOR SENDING MESSAGES TO TEENAGE GIRL

In October 2014, a man from Sowerby Bridge named Luke Greenwood was sentenced to four months in prison after he violated a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) by messaging a 14-year-old girl on Facebook. Greenwood, aged 31 at the time, had previously been convicted of child abuse image offences and was subject to strict restrictions aimed at preventing him from accessing social media platforms.

Back in October 2004, Greenwood, then 22 years old, was convicted for offences involving indecent images of young girls. Following this, in January 2012, magistrates in Wakefield imposed a 10-year SOPO that explicitly prohibited him from using social networking sites, among other restrictions. Despite these legal restrictions, Greenwood managed to breach the order on multiple occasions.

Between June and August 2013, Greenwood sent a total of ten messages to a girl who was only 14 years old. These messages were sent via Facebook, a platform Greenwood was explicitly banned from using under the terms of his SOPO. The court was informed that the girl was unaware of Greenwood’s criminal background at the time she received the messages. The revelation of Greenwood’s contact with her caused her significant distress, leading to panic attacks and heightened anxiety.

Greenwood, who resides on Lord Street in Sowerby Bridge, had already been found guilty of breaching his SOPO twice before this incident. Judge Robert Bartfield described Greenwood’s contact with the girl as “a blatant breach of the spirit and terms of the order,” emphasizing the seriousness of his violations.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Greenwood had previously used Facebook to promote his wedding photography business, which was another breach of his SOPO. Additionally, he had attempted to circumvent restrictions by using someone else’s name, an act Judge Bartfield described as “a devious attempt to get round the provisions.”

The messages Greenwood sent to the teenage girl included compliments about her appearance. While the judge acknowledged that Greenwood’s contact did not constitute grooming, he noted that it demonstrated an inappropriate level of interest in the young girl. The court’s findings highlighted Greenwood’s ongoing disregard for legal restrictions and the potential risks posed by his actions, leading to his imprisonment for a breach of the court’s orders.