Underage girl’s mum found her at cinema with sex offender
AN ‘immature’ teenager has been ordered to sign the sex offender register following his convictions for sexual activity with an underage girl at a cinema and child abduction.
Callum Chant, 19, was caught on CCTV inappropriately touching a girl under 16 as they watched a movie.
He was 18 when he was seen with the teenager at a Bury cinema.
Around three months later, another teenager – who was also underage – was found at his flat.
Both girls refused to make a statement to police.
Chant’s lawyer said he ‘shows undeveloped levels of maturity,’ and has been ‘rejected’ by teenagers his age ‘due to his physical appearance.’
Chant, from Bury, admitted sexual activity with an underage girl and child abduction. He was ordered to sign the sex offender register for five years at Minshull Street Crown Court. He was also given a two-year community order and a curfew between 7pm and 7am every day for fourth months.
The court heard that Chant asked an underage girl on a date to the Vue cinema at The Rock earlier this year.
Prosecutor Katherine Johnson said the girl’s mother and her partner, concerned about the girl, went to the cinema to find her with Chant.
“The partner then told the girl to leave with him, which she did.”
The court heard the woman asked cinema staff if she could view CCTV footage of her daughter with Chant.
The video showed the pair ‘sitting next to each other’ with ‘their heads moving close to each other’.
“They denied that they kissed at all, but there was some touching of her bottom shown on CCTV over clothes and on her leg,” Ms Johnson added.
Chant was later arrested and issued with a ‘child abduction warning notice’, urging him to stay away from younger girls.
He was detained again three months later after another underage teenager was found at his flat.
Chant denied being in a relationship with the girl. He was later arrested.
In mitigation, defence lawyer Daniel Colder said: “[Chant] recognises these are serious offences, but it has been said that he shows undeveloped levels of maturity.
“He was rejected by his own group of people the same age due to his physical appearance and he relates more to people of a younger age.
“He has found it hard to mix with his own age and psychologically, it’s like he hasn’t learned age-appropriate skills.”