TERANCE KAYE SCARBOROUGH SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED FOR CHILD GROOMING AND ABUSE ATTEMPT

In July 2008, a 60-year-old man from Scarborough named Terance Kaye was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting to attempting to sexually groom a young girl under the age of 13. The court proceedings revealed disturbing details about Kaye's predatory behavior and his history of offenses involving children.

According to the case presented at York Crown Court, Kaye, who resided on Castle Road in Scarborough, had previously been convicted in 1995 at Bradford Crown Court of child abduction and gross indecency. His latest actions involved targeting an eight-year-old girl earlier that year in Scarborough. Prosecutor Alan Mitcheson explained that Kaye had approached the young girl and offered her 50 pence with the intent of luring her back to his home. The purpose of this invitation was sinister, as Kaye planned to expose himself and perform a sexual act in front of her.

The police investigation was initiated after the young girl made an apparently innocent remark to her mother. She recounted that she was playing with friends when a man had given her 50p and asked her to visit his house later. This statement prompted further inquiries, and police subsequently discovered through interviews with the girl’s friends that Kaye had previously offered children money to visit him at his residence. Fortunately, during these visits, no inappropriate conduct was reported to have occurred.

During police interviews, Kaye admitted to the offenses and acknowledged that his behavior constituted grooming. He explained that he had been taking medication for depression, which he claimed reduced his libido at the time, but he was no longer on the medication during the incident. His criminal history includes a five-year jail sentence in the 1990s for child abduction, during which he had persuaded a three-year-old girl to follow him into a house with the apparent intent of engaging in sexual activity. However, his plans were thwarted when a member of the public intervened before any harm could occur.

In mitigation, Taryn Turner argued that Kaye’s intentions were not as severe as rape or other serious offenses, describing his actions as unpleasant but not the most serious. Nonetheless, Judge Scott Wolstenholme emphasized that Kaye’s sexual attraction to children was not his fault, but acting on such impulses was. The judge highlighted the importance of protecting the public, especially young girls, and expressed concern about the potential psychological harm Kaye’s actions could cause his victims.

Judge Wolstenholme sentenced Kaye to an extended term of 10 years, which would require him to serve the remainder of his sentence if he breached the conditions of his license after release. Additionally, the court imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, prohibiting Kaye from ever working with children again. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities to prevent further offenses.