STUART SPIERS FROM ACCRINGTON SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL OFFENSES INVOLVING CHILDREN IN BURNLEY

In a serious case heard at Burnley Crown Court, Stuart Spiers, a 19-year-old resident of Accrington, was found guilty of engaging in sexual activities with two underage girls. The court proceedings revealed a troubling pattern of behavior that has caused significant distress to the victims and their families.

According to court records, Spiers had previously been served with a notice under the Child Abduction Act by police authorities, which explicitly prohibited him from having any contact with the first girl involved in the case. Despite this legal restriction, Spiers continued to pursue relationships with underage girls, leading to further criminal activity. The court heard that shortly after receiving the notice, he engaged in sexual intercourse with a second girl, who was also a minor.

The court was informed that at the time of these incidents, Spiers was living alone in Accrington and was subject to a curfew, which was part of his legal restrictions. Both sets of parents of the teenagers involved contacted the police to report their concerns about their daughters’ interactions with Spiers. During police interviews, Spiers claimed he believed the second girl was 16 years old, although she had told him her actual age. The court noted that Spiers had a prior conviction for detaining a 15-year-old girl in the street, which underscored his history of inappropriate conduct.

In total, Spiers admitted to six counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child. The court also imposed a five-year sexual offences prevention order, which prohibits him from having any unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16. This order aims to prevent any future offenses and protect vulnerable minors from potential harm.

Prosecutor Sarah Statham explained that after the first girl’s parents contacted the police, Spiers was served with the Child Abduction Act notice on February 10 of the previous year. Subsequently, he met the second girl in an Accrington park, where she disclosed her age to him. Despite her honesty, Spiers engaged in sexual activity with her in February of the same year, and he warned her not to tell anyone about their encounter. When Spiers was arrested in March, he did not make any significant effort to verify the age of the first girl, which further demonstrated his disregard for the law and the safety of minors.

During police interviews, Spiers admitted that he understood his actions were wrong after being questioned by the Engage Team. The court was told that his behavior had a profound and damaging impact on the families of both victims, causing emotional distress and upheaval.

Defending Spiers, solicitor David Ryan, highlighted that his client had below-average intellectual ability and a limited understanding of the consequences of his actions. The court took into account these factors when delivering its sentence, which included a one-year custodial term for the sexual offenses committed. The case underscores the importance of strict legal measures to protect minors and the ongoing challenges faced by authorities in addressing such offenses.