RENEE TRELAWNEY

ACCRINGTON MAN JAILED FOR SHOWING INDECENT IMAGES TO CHILDREN

An Accrington man who showed indecent images of children to students as they walked home from school has been jailed.

Renee Trelawney, 31, of Sharples Street, appeared before Preston Crown Court charged with possessing an indecent photo of a child, outraging public indecency, and three breaches of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

The incident took place on January 16, when the defendant showed an image of a child, aged between 11 and 12, claiming he had lost his child and needed help finding her.

He then swiped to show pornographic images of the child in the picture to three girls on separate occasions.

Prosecutor Richard Howarth stated that the defendant was intentionally targeting children walking alone after leaving Mount Carmel High School.

At the time, he was subject to an SHPO and banned from contacting children under 16.

A victim impact statement was read, revealing that the girl was scared to go out, worried he would be released and might do something else, and now speaks with her parents about her worries, feeling she is always under caution—highlighting the impact of his actions.

Other victims included children who were just beginning to enjoy the independence of walking home alone, and a mother who is cautious about her child's safety.

Mitigating, Ellie Watson noted that his main mitigation was his guilty pleas in magistrates' court.

Judge Robert Altham sentenced him to 39 months in prison, with an extended four-year license period due to him being classed as dangerous.

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and restraining orders were issued for ten years for the victims.

Despite showing remorse and engaging in mental health therapies in prison, the judge pointed out that his record was troubling, with his offending worsening over time.