Online groomer jailed after attempting to meet girl, 16

A 26-YEAR-OLD cyber creep from Runcorn has been jailed after pleading guilty to grooming a vulnerable teenage girl.

Robert Bristow, of Navigation Close, Murdishaw, pleaded guilty to meeting a girl under the age of 16 following grooming.

Bristow was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Chester Crown Court, handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

A Cheshire police spokesman said the case against Bristow came to light in March when a teenage girl’s mother uncovered a string of Facebook messages that had been sent to her daughter. Many of the messages were sexual in nature and indicated that Bristow had planned to meet the victim for the purpose of sexual activity.

Following the discovery, Bristow was arrested and despite initially denying any involvement he was subsequently charged with meeting a girl under the age of 16 following grooming.

Detective Inspector Claire Coleman said: “Thankfully, in this instance Bristow was unsuccessful in his attempts to meet with the victim. However, this may not have been the case if the messages had not been discovered by her mum.

“This case is a timely reminder that while the internet is an amazing tool, it has a darker side which we all need to be mindful of.

“It also shows just how imperative it is that parents are aware of the sites their children are accessing and who they are communicating with. People like Bristow have no qualms with using the internet to their own perverse means.

“There are a number of websites that provide information and tools to protect children online and I would strongly advise all parents to utilise these when educating their children about how to stay safe.”

Police have urged parents and young people to educate themselves about the risks online and how to protect themselves and others by visiting websites such as www. cheshire.police.uk for general internet safety advice; www. getsafeonline.org to find out about firewalls, spyware and antivirus protection and protecting children; www.childnet. com for adult awareness e-safety; www. thinkuknow.co.uk which features resources to download; and www. ceop.gov.uk