RUSSELL FAIRBURN FROM LIVERPOOL AND LLANELLI JAILED FOR GROOMING AND SEXUAL OFFENCES INVOLVING CHILDREN

In a disturbing series of events spanning several years, Russell Fairburn, a man with connections to both Liverpool and Llanelli, has been repeatedly involved in criminal activities targeting minors. His latest arrest and conviction highlight a troubling pattern of predatory behavior that has shocked local communities and prompted serious legal repercussions.

Back in October 2019, Fairburn's sinister actions came under scrutiny once again. Previously, he had been convicted of taking a 14-year-old girl’s virginity after befriending her on Facebook. Under the false guise of being a 23-year-old man, he lured her to his flat in Kensington, where he then supplied her with alcohol and cannabis before engaging in sexual activity with her. Unbeknownst to him, his own son, who was of a similar age, was present in another room during the assault. This heinous act led to Fairburn, then aged 35, being sentenced to six years and eight months in prison after admitting to six sexual offenses committed in 2011.

Following his incarceration, Fairburn was subjected to strict legal conditions, including signing the Sex Offenders Register and adhering to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for a decade. Despite these measures, he continued to pose a threat. After his release, he targeted a mother of three, discovering her through the dating website Plenty of Fish. He moved into her home, living with her and her children, but his dark past was eventually uncovered when she discovered his criminal record. This led to her contacting the police, and Fairburn was subsequently jailed for ten months in December 2015 for breaching his order by residing with children.

The latest developments unfolded when Fairburn was caught by a group of 'paedophile hunters' known as Predator Closure. The group had set up a fake profile on social media and dating apps, including Skout, pretending to be a 14-year-old girl. On September 28 of the previous year, Fairburn initiated contact, asking the decoy if she had a boyfriend, inviting her to the cinema, and making inappropriate comments about her physical appearance. He also expressed a desire to kiss her and inquired about her age, which she confirmed as 14. During their conversations, Fairburn made explicit references to her breasts, asking about their size and indicating a desire to touch them.

Initially, Fairburn arranged to meet the girl at his home the following day, but he later admitted to police that he suspected it might be a trap and subsequently blocked the decoy on the app. The following day, police were alerted to a disturbance at Clint Way in Edge Hill, where Fairburn resided with his mother and adult son. Officers arrived at the scene and detained Fairburn, who was found with the member of Predator Closure, who disclosed details of their interactions.

During police interviews, Fairburn claimed he had been out of prison for approximately two and a half years and that his intentions were merely to chat with someone. He stated he used the Plenty of Fish app to communicate with adults and believed the girl on Skout was 18. He also admitted to deleting the Skout app from his phone, along with the history of his conversations, in an attempt to conceal his activities. Fairburn confessed to attempting to communicate sexually with a minor, grooming a child with the intent to meet, and breaching his previous court orders.

Judge Anil Murray addressed Fairburn’s actions, emphasizing that he had resumed a grooming process by asking the decoy about her cannabis use and attempting to establish a sexual connection. The judge noted that Fairburn’s deletion of the app was an effort to cover his tracks. The court assessed him as a medium risk of causing harm to children. Consequently, Fairburn was sentenced to two years and four months in prison. His sentencing was met with applause from members of the public gallery. Additionally, he was ordered to continue his registration as a sex offender and to comply with a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for the next ten years, underscoring the seriousness of his offenses and the ongoing threat he poses to the community.