PAUL SULLIVAN FROM BETHNAL GREEN SENTENCED FOR GROOMING AND SEXUAL OFFENCES INVOLVING TEEN GIRLS

In September 2019, a man named Paul Sullivan, aged 50, residing on Cheshire Street E2, was convicted and subsequently sentenced for a series of serious grooming and sexual offences. The case was heard at Snaresbrook Crown Court, where Sullivan was found guilty on multiple counts related to his predatory behavior towards underage girls.

Specifically, Sullivan was convicted of causing or inciting a girl aged between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity, including acts involving penetration, as well as causing or inciting non-penetrative sexual acts with the same age group. Additionally, he faced five counts of meeting girls under 16 following acts of sexual grooming, highlighting a pattern of manipulative behavior aimed at minors.

Beyond the sexual offences, Sullivan was also convicted of drug-related crimes, including supplying a controlled Class B drug, cannabis, and possessing cannabis resin on two separate occasions. His criminal activities extended into the realm of indecent imagery, with the court finding that he had created and possessed multiple indecent photographs and pseudo-photographs of children. These included six Category A moving images, one Category B still image, and five Category C still images, all depicting minors in compromising and illegal situations.

The court proceedings revealed disturbing details about Sullivan’s interactions with young girls. It was established that he befriended five 14-year-old girls in a local park, where he supplied them with alcohol, cigarettes, and cannabis, and exchanged phone numbers with each of them. The investigation uncovered that Sullivan later invited these girls to his home, where he continued to provide alcohol and cigarettes during each visit. Over a two-week period, the girls visited Sullivan’s residence multiple times, during which they played games such as ‘spin the bottle’ and discussed sexual topics, often in a manner designed to make them uncomfortable.

Victims later reported that Sullivan would make inappropriate comments, deliberately aiming to unsettle them. On one occasion, he asked one of the girls if she would have sex with him if they were alone, a comment that underscored his predatory intent. The case came to light when one mother, suspicious of her daughter’s behavior, discovered messages on her phone indicating her daughter had been visiting an older male’s address. Concerned, she contacted the police, prompting an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Central East Proactive Exploitation Unit.

Paul Sullivan was arrested in Loughton on 18 July 2018. During a search of his home, authorities seized various items, including a laptop and computers. Analysis of these devices revealed numerous indecent images of children, some of which Sullivan had attempted to hide or delete. The investigation also uncovered homemade videos containing indecent images of minors, further implicating him in the possession and creation of illegal material.

Following extensive telephone data analysis, investigators identified four additional victims, all minors, who were subsequently interviewed by police. On 6 September, Sullivan was found guilty of all charges and was sentenced to four years in prison. The court also imposed a total of 20 years and 8 weeks of concurrent sentences for the various offences. Additionally, Sullivan was issued with a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting his future conduct and contact with minors.

The judge overseeing the case commended the diligent work of the Exploitation Team, particularly highlighting the efforts of the officer assigned to the case, who will receive a Judges’ Commendation for their exemplary service in bringing Sullivan to justice.