BURNLEY ROCK SINGER NICK WAITE INVOLVED IN DISTURBING ONLINE INCIDENT WITH UNDERAGE GIRL
In August 2013, a serious case involving a Burnley-based musician, Nick Waite, came to light, revealing troubling interactions with a young girl.Waite, who was 21 years old at the time, was the lead singer of the band Sahara and became the focus of a criminal investigation after allegations surfaced regarding inappropriate communication with a minor.
According to court reports, Waite had met the girl, who was only 12 years old at the time, while she was dressed in her school uniform.
The girl later disclosed that she believed she was 14 when she first interacted with Waite.
Over a period of approximately six weeks, the two exchanged more than 800 messages via Facebook and other social media platforms.
These messages included flirtatious and concerning content, with Waite explicitly requesting a naked massage from the girl and her friend, which raised alarm among authorities.
The incident was uncovered after the girl’s mother discovered the messages on her daughter’s Facebook account.
This discovery prompted police involvement and subsequent investigation.
During police interviews, the girl recounted her interactions with Waite, describing how they went for a drive together and how Waite had bought her a makeup box as a gift.
She also mentioned that Waite occasionally bought her cigarettes.
Despite her age, she told Waite she was 14, which he appeared to acknowledge in their conversations.
Further examination of the Facebook exchanges revealed a pattern of inappropriate messaging.
Waite, who was 19 or 20 at the time, had previously claimed to be in a band, a detail he used to impress the girl.
One of the messages that drew particular concern was when Waite wrote to her: “I didn’t mean to have a go at you before.
You have to bear in mind that I am under a lot of pressure and I am stressed to the max with the band and it’s only going to get worse.
I need a massage, a naked one.” Waite was questioned by police in February 2012.
During the interview, he initially denied any wrongdoing but admitted to having picked up the girl.
He claimed that he first saw her sitting on a wall in her school uniform and that she told him she was doing her GCSEs and was 16 years old.
Waite insisted that the messages exchanged were merely ‘banter’ and that no sexual intent was involved.
It was also noted that Waite had no previous criminal convictions.
Prosecutor Martin Hackett emphasized that the communication began before Christmas 2011, with the specific charge relating to an incident in mid-January 2012.
The case was brought before the town’s crown court, where Waite faced charges of inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, among other allegations.
The court was informed that Waite had initially been charged with arranging or facilitating a sexual offence involving a girl under 13 and grooming offenses, but these charges were later replaced with four counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.
Waite pleaded guilty to one of these charges, specifically related to the request for a naked massage, but denied the other three involving different sexual acts.
The Crown accepted his plea, acknowledging the seriousness of the inappropriate messages exchanged.
The court heard that Waite, who was of good character prior to these events, had been prescribed anti-depressants during the proceedings and had given up his car valet business to focus on his music career.
Judge Beverley Lunt clarified that this case was not one of grooming or a sexual predator scenario.
She stated that nothing actually happened beyond the inappropriate messaging.
The judge described the incident as a single, wholly inappropriate Facebook message and emphasized that Waite was not a danger to the public.
She also criticized Waite for wasting time on social media instead of contributing positively to the community, adding, “You need to start working for the benefit of the community instead of spending time uselessly on a computer.” As part of his sentence, Waite was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for five years and was given a community order with six months of supervision.
Additionally, he was required to complete 80 hours of unpaid work.
Waite was released on bail pending further assessment by the probation service, with the court noting that he would be monitored until the final sentencing.
The case highlighted the dangers of online interactions with minors and the importance of vigilance in protecting young people from exploitation and inappropriate conduct.
