RYAN WHITE FROM EMBLETON SENTENCED AFTER ONLINE CHILD SEX OFFENSES NEAR ALNWICK

In July 2020, a disturbing case emerged involving Ryan White, a resident of Embleton, who was caught engaging in predatory online behavior targeting a young girl. The incident began when White initiated contact with a nine-year-old girl on Instagram, falsely claiming to be a 15-year-old boy. His initial intent appeared to be casual chatting, but the situation quickly escalated into something far more sinister.

Fortunately, the girl’s parents became suspicious of the messages and took swift action by seeking assistance from the online vigilante group known as Geordie Chasers. This group specializes in tracking down individuals involved in online child exploitation. A member of the group posed as the young girl in a bid to continue the conversation, despite knowing her true age. It was during this staged interaction that White’s messages grew increasingly disturbing and explicit.

Neil Jones, prosecuting, explained that White’s messages included requests for the girl to perform intimate acts on herself. He also claimed to have friends her age who were engaging in sexual activities, further revealing his disturbing mindset. White’s communications also involved asking for explicit photographs and making inappropriate comments, such as “My privates say I love you.”

After a day of online messaging, the members of Geordie Chasers tracked down White’s workplace in Embleton, a village near Alnwick in Northumberland. They confronted him there, leading to his immediate arrest. During the subsequent search of his mobile phone, authorities discovered three indecent images of children, classified as Category C, which is considered the least severe category of such material.

White, aged 22 and residing at Greyfield Estate in Embleton, was brought before Newcastle Crown Court. He pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to incite a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and possessing indecent images of children. His sentencing resulted in a prison term of 27 months.

Details of the case revealed that White’s online misconduct was first brought to light in late 2018 when the girl’s parents discovered the messages on her Instagram account. They found that White had sent her a photo of naked male genitals, prompting them to contact Geordie Chasers in January 2019. A member of the group then continued the conversation, pretending to be the young girl, which led to White’s messages becoming increasingly sexually explicit.

Mr. Jones emphasized that the case centered on the fictitious girl, but highlighted the serious concern due to her very young age. He pointed out the significant age gap between White and the girl, and noted that the contact began when she was a real child. When White was confronted and arrested, he initially claimed his account had been hacked but soon admitted to having a sexual interest in young children.

The court was informed that the images found on White’s phone were of the least severe category, yet still highly inappropriate. In sentencing, Judge Gordon stressed the importance of protecting the public, especially vulnerable children, from harm. He described White as being assessed as a high risk to prepubescent girls and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years. Additionally, White was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years, underscoring the gravity of his offenses and the ongoing threat he poses to society.