PHILIP SCAIFE SHERIFF HUTTON ONLINE DATING PREDATOR CAUGHT IN YORK

In July 2013, a disturbing case emerged involving Philip Andrew Scaife, a 30-year-old farm labourer from Sheriff Hutton, who was convicted of grooming a 13-year-old girl through online communications. The case highlighted the dangers of internet predation and the devastating impact it can have on young victims.

According to court proceedings at York Crown Court, Scaife engaged in a series of manipulative and sexually explicit exchanges with the young girl, whom he believed to be an adult. In reality, she was only 13 years old and living with her parents. Despite this, Scaife treated her as he would an adult woman he met on an online dating platform, showing a blatant disregard for her age and vulnerability.

The prosecution, led by Paul Cleasby, revealed that the farm worker attempted to arrange a sexual encounter with the girl. Over the course of their communication, which spanned from March 1 of the previous year until mid-April, the pair exchanged a staggering 654 text messages. Almost all of these messages contained sexually explicit content, including indecent photographs and videos sent by the girl herself. Scaife responded with suggestions for acts she could perform on camera, further demonstrating his predatory intent.

Judge Stephen Ashurst, the Recorder of York, condemned Scaife’s actions, stating, “It is plain you revelled in that relationship online.” The judge emphasized that Scaife entered into this online relationship with full knowledge of the girl’s age, which made his actions particularly egregious. He warned that Scaife must now face the consequences of his behavior.

Scaife, who pleaded guilty to multiple charges including grooming a child for sex, inciting a child to perform sexual acts, and possessing indecent images of a child, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. Additionally, he was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life, banned from working with children or having unsupervised contact with minors, and his internet access was restricted permanently.

During the trial, it was revealed that the girl had initially created a profile claiming she was 18 on the dating site, but by the time their conversations began, Scaife was fully aware of her true age. He also attempted to manipulate her into leaving her parents’ home so they could meet in person, further illustrating his predatory intentions.

In his defense, Stephen Grattage, representing Scaife, described him as a hardworking individual suffering from depression and not sexually interested in children. He argued that Scaife had become addicted to online dating and that he believed, had they met in person, he would not have engaged in sexual activity with the girl. Nonetheless, the court’s verdict made it clear that Scaife’s actions were unacceptable and criminal, leading to his imprisonment and lifelong restrictions to prevent further harm.