WILLIAM PORTER FROM GATEACRE INVOLVED IN ONLINE CHILD EXPLOITATION CASE IN NOTTINGHAM

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community, William Porter, a 51-year-old man residing in Ribble Road, Gateacre, was brought before Nottingham Crown Court on charges related to online child exploitation. The incident involved Porter engaging in conversations with two young girls from Toton, aged four and 11, where he pretended to be a 16-year-old boy in an attempt to manipulate them into inappropriate acts via webcam.

According to court proceedings, Porter initiated contact with the girls through online chat rooms, adopting the alias “Lee.” During these conversations, he encouraged the older girl, aged 11, to persuade the four-year-old girl to lift her top, which was reported after the four-year-old’s father discovered a message on his computer requesting this act. The father’s vigilance led him to notify the police authorities.

Law enforcement officials traced the message back to Porter, who was found to be living in Liverpool at the time of his arrest. He was taken into custody and subsequently admitted to starting the conversations with the young girls. Prosecutor Lisa Hardy revealed that Porter claimed his online activities had spiraled out of control, describing his actions as an addiction. Hardy explained, “He said it got out of hand and had grown into an addiction. He went into chat rooms just to talk to people.”

Porter faced three charges of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity—two involving the 11-year-old girl and one involving the four-year-old. Notably, investigations found no indecent images or videos stored on his computer, and no footage of the girls was recovered.

During the sentencing, Judge John Burgess, acknowledging Porter’s previously good character and employment at a railway ticket booth, condemned his actions as utterly abhorrent. The judge posed a stark hypothetical, stating, “Imagine if it was your four-year-old daughter that some 51-year-old man was ogling via a webcam, or your 11-year-old daughter, who a man had contacted, posing as a 16-year-old and getting her to pose naked in front of the camera.”

While Porter’s guilty plea and remorse were noted, the judge emphasized the severity of his conduct, which could have warranted a two-year prison sentence. Instead, he was sentenced to a three-year community order, with additional restrictions including a disqualification from working with children, a five-year registration on the sex offenders’ register, and a ten-year sex offender prevention order.

In mitigation, Sarah Phelan highlighted Porter’s genuine remorse and his recognition of the harm caused by his actions. She described him as “a confused, inadequate man” who has expressed suicidal thoughts during the proceedings. Phelan also noted that Porter has a supportive partner, with whom he hopes to marry in two years, and that he maintains his employment. The case underscores the ongoing dangers of online grooming and the importance of vigilance in protecting vulnerable children from exploitation.