MARTIN PRATER FROM WHITTLE-LE-WOODS JAILED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN CHORLEY

In November 2017, a former scout troop leader from Whittle-le-Woods was sentenced to 18 months in prison after being convicted of multiple sexual offences involving a young girl. Martin Prater, aged 41, who resided at The Elms in Whittle-le-Woods, was found guilty of inappropriate touching and coercing the girl into touching him during incidents that took place in Chorley in March and April of 2016.

Prater, a married man and father of two, was a leader within the Chorley District of the Scouts. The case came to light after the victim, a 14-year-old girl, confided in her mother about the abuse. Her mother recounted the moment she received a distressing text message from her daughter, which revealed the extent of the trauma she was experiencing. She described her reaction: "The colour drained from my face and I felt sick. We had been out shopping for a car and I hadn’t heard my phone go off at first. I rang her and we went straight home."

The mother expressed her frustration with how the Scouts organization handled the situation. She criticized the safeguarding procedures, stating, "When we reported it to the safeguarding organisation in London, the woman on the phone told us they had a duty of care to their volunteers — what about a duty of care to my daughter?" She also condemned the fact that another senior Scout member provided a character reference during the court proceedings, calling it "sickening."

From the moment the allegations surfaced, the family faced a harrowing ordeal. Prater initially denied the accusations right up until his court trial. The victim, who had been led to believe she might have to testify in court, had even been given a tour of the courtroom beforehand. Her mother described the emotional toll: "It has been a nightmare from the moment we found out."

Prosecutor David Traynor outlined that Prater, who was a leader in the Chorley District, had sent the girl messages of a sexual nature prior to the offences. The court heard that the girl repeatedly rejected his attempts at grooming, even replying in one message, "It ain’t gonna happen mate." During the trial at Preston Crown Court, Prater was seen sitting with his head in his hands as the court read out the texts he had sent. Some of these messages included provocative statements such as "Age is just a number" and "I’d love you to give me one."

Further details revealed that Prater physically assaulted the girl by groping her bottom and kissing her in a secluded, pitch-black field. These incidents occurred in Chorley during March and April 2016. The court also heard that in May 2016, Prater, who was employed as a fleet manager for a logistics company and an alumnus of Leyland St Mary’s High School, told the girl that his wife had discovered some of their messages. He then asked her to delete their conversations, which she did after realizing the inappropriate nature of their exchanges.

When questioned by police, Prater claimed that his actions were limited to an innocent arm around her shoulder and insisted that the messages were intended to "boost her self-esteem." However, on the day of his court appearance, he pleaded guilty to charges of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and four counts of sexually assaulting the girl.

The victim provided a heartfelt impact statement, revealing that her experience had negatively affected her academic performance. Her mother added that the ordeal had "taken away their confidence and trust in others" and had "violated" their family life. Judge Sara Dodd addressed the court, emphasizing the severity of Prater’s conduct: "Prior to these offences, you had been in text contact with her, grooming her. Within weeks, you were telling her you loved her. The messages were flirtatious. You were 40, you were a married man with two children. She was 14. The text messaging, flirting, and grooming all continued. This matter is aggravated by the fact I’m dealing with a course of conduct."

As part of his sentence, Judge Dodd ordered Prater to register as a sex offender for the next ten years. She also prohibited him from working with children and vulnerable adults, issued a sexual harm prevention order, and a restraining order to protect the victim and her family from further contact.