SCOTT JOHNSON PENWORTHAM CAR WASH PAEDOPHILE SENTENCED IN PRESTON

In November 2016, Scott Johnson, a 34-year-old car valeter from Penwortham, was convicted of a series of disturbing offences involving children and was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison. Johnson, who was employed at the Pristine car wash located on Leyland Road in Penwortham near Preston, became the subject of a police investigation after alarming reports from young victims and their parents.

Johnson's criminal activities extended beyond inappropriate online communications. He was found to have stolen children's and adults' underwear from vehicles he was tasked with cleaning, along with other personal items such as a ladies' T-shirt, a fingerless glove, and socks. These items were discovered during a police raid at his residence on Sycamore Drive, Penwortham, which he shared with his mother.

The court heard that Johnson had engaged in a pattern of predatory behavior, which included sending lewd images of himself to two nine-year-old girls via Instagram. He had also asked one of the girls to send him a nude photograph. The young victims, who were just children, managed to alert their parents, leading to Johnson's arrest. During the police search, officers uncovered a collection of stolen underwear belonging to children and adults, as well as other personal items, indicating a long-standing pattern of theft and exploitation.

Judge Heather Lloyd, presiding over Preston Crown Court, delivered a stern sentence and expressed her concerns about Johnson's deeply ingrained criminal tendencies. She stated, “By your own admission, you’ve been doing this for years. What you have also done is contact children for sexual gratification. This behaviour is clearly ingrained in you so much so you stole children and adults’ clothing from cars you were valeting, you have therefore gone further than the average man who hides behind a computer screen. You have moved on to the next step. You have begun to behave abusively yourself.”

She further highlighted the disturbing nature of Johnson's online activities, revealing that he followed celebrities popular with children on Instagram to gain access to young followers’ profiles. One of his victims, a nine-year-old girl, received a photograph of a cup with the message “what’s your password?” Johnson had explained that he liked to look at people’s profiles. When the girl refused to share her password, he offered to “blag” her by promising to provide passwords for contestants on Britain’s Got Talent, specifically “Bars and Melody.” He also sent her a message saying, “I like your attitude,” and later, he sent a naked picture of himself.

Prosecutor Paul Cummings QC detailed that Johnson’s predatory behavior extended to another nine-year-old girl in January 2015, who received a photograph of him exposing himself from an account called ‘Free Willy,’ along with a message stating, “I only do it to fit girls.”

Johnson’s arrest came in November 2015 at the Penwortham car wash, and a subsequent search of his home uncovered electronic devices containing images of child abuse, including 12 of the most serious Category A images. He admitted to possessing indecent images of children, inciting a girl under 13 into sexual activity, theft, and making indecent photographs.

During police interviews, Johnson admitted that he usually sought out girls aged 12 to 13 and claimed he would not have contacted the young girls if he had known they were only nine. He also confessed to stealing clothing from cars during his employment as a valeter.

In his defense, solicitor Richard Archer revealed that Johnson had attempted to take his own life prior to his last court appearance, highlighting the severe mental health struggles faced by the defendant amidst his criminal conduct.