PAUL MARSHALL FROM MELKSHAM SENTENCED FOR GROOMING YOUNG GIRLS NEAR BATH AND SWINDON

In October 2014, Paul Marshall, a 61-year-old railway guard from Melksham, was sentenced to serve five years and four months in prison for a series of disturbing crimes involving the grooming and exploitation of underage girls. His heinous actions came to light after police investigations uncovered a pattern of predatory behavior that spanned several years.

Marshall's criminal activities primarily involved two young girls, aged 14 and 15, whom he targeted through a combination of gifts, manipulation, and coercion. He showered the victims with presents, including clothes, cigarettes, and alcohol, establishing a false sense of trust and affection. His grooming extended further as he paid for a tattoo for one girl, despite her being underage, and encouraged her to send him increasingly revealing photographs of herself. These images ranged from underwear to topless and fully nude pictures, which he kept in his diaries and printed out, storing some in his bedroom.

The first girl, who was just 15 when they met in the spring of 2009, was introduced to Marshall through mutual friends. Over time, he became a significant presence in her life, buying her clothes and other gifts, and even attempting to take her to a notorious dogging site near Bath, where he suggested she strip for money. His diary entries reveal a disturbing pattern of his intentions, including references to her turning 16, indicating he was aware of her age. An alarming incident involved him mistakenly sending a text message to her mother, in which he implied that the more she gave him, the more he would reward her, revealing his manipulative mindset.

Meanwhile, the second victim, a 14-year-old girl, approached Marshall around the same period after hearing from friends that he bought gifts for teenage girls. He continued his pattern of gifting and paid her £80 to sunbathe topless for him. When she refused to go nude for £100, he persisted. His diary from June 2009 detailed plans to meet her at Tesco Express and expressed his willingness to engage in sex for money, describing her as a “lovely pretty girl.” He also showed her 116 indecent images of the first girl and encouraged her to send him her own photos, which she did 27 times. These images, along with printed copies, were found during police searches.

Marshall’s criminal record includes two counts of meeting a child after grooming and six counts of making indecent images of a child. The police investigation was triggered after the second girl confided in someone about his inappropriate behavior, which she had previously felt unable to disclose due to fear and psychological trauma. Both victims suffered significant emotional harm, feeling trapped and unable to seek help at the time.

During the trial at Swindon Crown Court, prosecutor Hannah Squire detailed the extent of Marshall’s depravity. His defense attorney, Alex Daymond, acknowledged that Marshall, who was in his mid-50s at the time, had no prior criminal record and expressed remorse, stating that the reasons behind his actions remained a mystery even to himself.

Judge Tim Mousley QC delivered a stern sentence, emphasizing the systematic grooming and manipulation involved. He stated, “You systematically groomed these two young girls over a period of time. It is quite clear what you had in mind in behaving in the way you did towards them. Putting it mildly, you caused them enormous, perhaps incalculable, distress. You have caused each of them great harm. There are two ruined lives at least.”

In addition to his prison term, Marshall was ordered to register as a sex offender for life and was subject to a sexual offence prevention order, which would restrict his liberty upon release. The case highlights the dangers of grooming and exploitation, especially by individuals who abuse positions of trust and authority in communities like Melksham, near Bath and Swindon.