A Toxteth man who groomed a 13-year-old girl on the internet before sexually assaulting her was jailed.
Alan Pendleton, 52, of Merlin Street, pleaded guilty to four counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child and one charge of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
At Liverpool Crown Court yesterday he was jailed for four years and four months, ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register and given a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).
Detective Chief Inspector Natalie Pereschine, said: “Pendleton groomed a girl via the internet then arranged to meet her and took her back to his flat where the offences were committed.
“Cases like this highlight the importance of making sure we understand the risks that exist whenever we go online.
“The web offers a degree of anonymity to criminals intent on grooming young people, allowing them to pretend to be someone they are not and gain trust and build relationships with younger people in order to exploit them for their own gain.
“It is really important that we all become more aware of the possible risk of exploitation on social media sites and how to report suspicious activity to the police. Parents, guardians, carers and teachers need to know what the warning signs are to look out for it they think a child may be putting themselves at risk.”
Merseyside Police have a website called www.listentomystory.co.uk which highlights the issue from a young people’s perspectives and also shows where people can get help if they have any concerns for any child they know.
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/