BIGRIGG MAN RYAN CRUDEN FACES JAIL FOR CHILD SEX CRIMES
A WEST Cumbrian man is facing an “inevitable jail term” after he admitted a catalogue of child sex offences.Appearing before a judge at Carlisle Crown Court, 24-year-old Bigrigg man Ryan Cruden, who has a criminal record for similar offending, entered guilty pleas to 26 offences which involved multiple child victims.
Police who investigated his offending took statements from five victims, while the indecent images offences committed by Cruden, of Chapel Street, Bigrigg, near Egremont, involved 20 children.
One of the victims was just eight years old.
The offences he admitted were: - 16 offences of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
- 5 counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child.
- 3 charges of downloading indecent child images.
- And 2 counts of distributing indecent child images.
Two allegations of voyeurism were ordered to lie on file after the defendant entered not guilty pleas to those charges.
Kim Whittlestone, the defendant’s defence barrister, accepted that Cruden now faces an inevitable jail term but asked the judge to adjourn sentencing to allow for pre-sentence and psychological reports to assess the risk he poses to the public.
The sentencing is adjourned until November 7, where Cruden will remain remanded in custody.
The judge indicated he will be placed on the Sex Offender Register for a duration that will depend on the sentence.
Cruden, who was 22 when he began his offending, will be given credit for his guilty pleas.
Authorities emphasize that if concerns about a child's safety arise, there's help available through organizations like the NSPCC and local police advice.
