The Chronicle

Man jailed over bid to groom boy and pics of abuse

OFFENCES COMMITTED WHILE ON BAIL AFTER ONLINE STING

- By ROB KENNEDY rob.kennedy@ncjmedia.co.uk @ChronicleC­ourt

Court Reporter A PERVERT who tried to meet a young boy for sex and bondage and was found with a video of a nappy-wearing child being raped has been jailed.

Michael Aldridge was initially caught out in a Dark Justice sting after trying to meet a fictitious 13-year-old girl, but his offending didn’t stop there.

He was on bail for that when he told a community psychiatri­c nurse he had a sexual interest in children and might have downloaded indecent images.

When police looked at his computer equipment they discovered a library of images, including the nappy rape video. They also found Skype conversati­ons between Aldridge and a real 13-year-old boy, who he tried to arrange to meet in a hotel for sex, and also asked to send him indecent video of himself.

Now the 35-year-old, of Bewick Court, Newcastle, has been locked up for three years after he admitted inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and possessing indecent images.

As well as the prison sentence he must sign the sex offenders’ register indefinite­ly, was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and was barred from working with children.

Referring to the “most disturbing offence” against the boy, Judge Stephen Earl, at Newcastle Crown Court, said: “Within 20 minutes of going online to chat he was proposing to meet up with this child.

“The conversati­on showed penetrativ­e sex was likely to take place, including bondage.

“When the child said he couldn’t stay overnight he suggested meeting in shopping centre toilets, but it didn’t happen because the defendant had put his back out.

“He suggested meeting in a hotel – he had made a booking.

“The mother of the boy says it left him feeling ashamed and apologetic for the effects on him and his family.”

Kevin Wardlaw, prosecutin­g, told an earlier hearing Aldridge was arrested in the Dark Justice sting in October 2016 and was on bail for that offence when he downloaded the indecent images and began chatting to the 13-year-old boy.

Mr Wardlaw said: “He was seen by a community psychiatri­c nurse. In a conversati­on with the nurse, he disclosed a sexual attraction towards children, which was reported immediatel­y to the police by the nurse.

“The decision was made to urgently carry out checks on the defendant’s devices.”

The court was told that, on a laptop and hard drive, more than 600 indecent images and videos of children were found, including 31 category A, which are the most serious kind and involve penetrativ­e sexual activity.

Officers also found Skype conversati­ons between Aldridge and a 13-yearold boy, in which they had agreed to meet for sex, including bondage, Mr Wardlaw said.

The prosecutor added: “When he heard the child couldn’t spend the night with him, he said they could use a shopping centre loo for sexual activity.

“That meeting didn’t take place because the defendant injured his back.

“However, he messaged the child to say he had booked a hotel for April 28 and 29, 2017.”

The prosecutor said Aldridge told the teenager to bring “condoms, lube and cuffs” and was found to have booked a room at a Holiday Inn Express in the North West.

Mr Wardlaw said: “It was quite apparent the intention was penetrativ­e sexual activity to take place with the 13-year-old child.”

However, police searched Aldridge’s home on the day the meeting was due to take place on April 28 and seized his computers.

Brian Hegarty, mitigating, said Aldridge had pleaded guilty and had sought help for his sexual attraction to children.

He said: “This is not a defendant who clearly has a sexual interest in children and seeks to hide it to get access to children whenever he can.”

Mr Hegarty also said Aldridge experience­d a troubled childhood and has no previous conviction­s.

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 ??  ?? Michael Aldridge targeted a 13-year-old boy online
Michael Aldridge targeted a 13-year-old boy online
 ??  ?? Michael Aldridge
Michael Aldridge

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