Locations
Quenneys Close, Matson, Gloucester, GL4
Description
A "manipulative" paedophile has been jailed for eight years after having sex with a teenage girl and then trying to abduct her.
Richard Gilbert, of Quenney's Close, Gloucester, was found guilty of six counts of sexual activity with a child from September 2021 to Spring 2022.
The 30-year-old had previously admitted abducting the girl.
Sentencing judge Neil Millard said Gilbert was a "dangerous predator" and and "abusive child sex offender".
Prosecutor James Haskell told the court the teenager's mother became suspicious of her daughter's friendship with Gilbert when she came home with gifts from him in August 2021.
The mother reported her fears to police and Gilbert was arrested.
At the time, he denied any sexual contact with the girl and was released under investigation with strict conditions not to contact her or her family.
"However Gilbert ignored those conditions, he continued his relationship with the girl," Mr Haskell said.
He said the mother contacted the police again.
"The girl was then interviewed by police and she admitted having sex with Gilbert on three separate occasions."
He said Gilbert was arrested for a second time and was again released with strict conditions not to contact the girl or her family.
The court was told Gilbert went on to abduct the girl after making plans to "run away together" and kept her in a room at lodgings in Cheltenham.
When police found her, she told them she was his girlfriend.
Giving evidence the girl said the relationship started when he kissed her at a social event.
"Gilbert would get jealous if he saw me with male friends from school," she said.
"On one occasion I was in the park with my friends when Gilbert texted me to say he could see me. This scared me as I couldn't see him.
"If I didn't tell him things he'd threaten me. He would log into my social media accounts and block my friends.
"This made me feel uncomfortable."
Jason Coulter, defending, said the plan to run away with the girl was "utter lunacy", and that Gilbert had "genuine, but wholly inappropriate, feelings of affection" towards her.
Sentencing judge, Recorder Neil Millard, told Gilbert he was a "dangerous predator" and would not be considered for parole until he had served at least two thirds of his sentence.
He was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and told to sign the sex offender's register indefinitely, and banned from ever working with children.