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A PERVERTED west Cumbrian man "lured" two 13-year-old girls to secret late-night meetings with gifts of alcohol and cigarettes because he wanted to sexually abuse them.
The Carlisle Crown Court judge who sentenced 37-year-old Frizington man Graham Green branded him a “danger” to young girls.
The defendant had earlier pleaded guilty to an allegation of meeting the girls in August last year following online sexual grooming; and two counts of sexual activity with a child, with one charge for each victim.
Tim Evans, prosecuting, described how Green, who was 36 at the time he committed the offences, contacted the two girls over the social media platform Snapchat.
In June and July of last year, the court heard, Green exchanged numerous Snapchat messages with one of the girls, whose age he knew was 13. Despite this, Green made it clear he was sexually interested in her and her friend, also 13.
Mr Evans said Green had later suggested to Probation staff and a psychiatrist that he had no sexual interest in the two children.
But the messages he sent over a period of weeks painted the real picture, showing that Green was indeed sexually motivated in his communication with the girls and during their two meetings, said Mr Evans.
The Snapchat communication began on June 18 and Green’s messages included some that were “plainly sexual”, with Green spelling out in graphic detail what he wanted to do sexually with one of the girls.
“Other conversations were about whether he would provide them with drinks – cans of Fosters and Stella lager - and fags,” said Mr Evans, who described those items as Green’s “lure,” designed to buy him an opportunity to spend time with the girls for his sexual purposes.
He and the girls met after they sneaked out of their homes in the early hours on August 13, when he invited them to sit his van with him. He gave them roll-your-own cigarettes and cans of lager.
Messages that he sent suggested they went home just before 3am. Green then met the two girls the next night, he having sent messages that made it clear he would give them more booze and cigarettes.
The girls thought it was all a “bit of a joke,” said Mr Evans. “They were certainly not intending to swap sex for cigarettes or drink.”
Green then drove them to Hen Back, a remote area on the outskirts of Cleator Moor. It was during this late-night meeting, on August 14, said Mr Evans, that he sexually touched the girls over their clothing.
The girls rebuffed him but he reacted angrily, according to the account given by one of the girls. She had got out of the van, and he called her, asking why her friend was “not doing anything.”
Both girls were at one point out of the van and in tears, the court heard. Green sent another message, saying: “I guess it’s a no, then.” The girls asked Green to drive them home at this point.
Green accused them of “leading him on.”
Judith McCullough, mitigating, said Green, of High Stowbank, Frizington, committed the offences while under the influence of alcohol, but his offending was more complicated, given that he had been diagnosed with a mental health disorder.
This was borderline personality disorder but he also had a mild to moderate depressive disorder, with thoughts of suicide.
The barrister said Green would benefit from intensive support and treatment in the community to reduce his risk of future offending. “He was living a sad and somewhat isolated existence,” said Miss McCullough.
“He has difficulty forming and keeping adult relationships. The only constant in his life other than his pets are his parents; and his parents are literally worrying themselves sick about this defendant.
“These proceedings have been a salutary lesson for him and he wishes to deal with the demons of his past and to understand his own behaviour and move forward in a more positive way.”
The barrister said a long community order with appropriate treatment would in the long term be better for society.
But Judge Nicholas Barker said that, despite the defendant’s denials to probation and psychiatric staff, he was quite satisfied Green’s actions were motivated by a sexual attraction to the children.
“There can be no other explanation for it,” said the judge.
Green wanted sex with the girl he was most attracted to, said the judge. The girls were interested, as some teenagers are, in pushing boundaries to obtain the alcohol and cigarettes. “You exploited those desires to promote and advance your own sexual interests,” said Judge Barker.
Green deliberately took the girls to a remote area, hoping for sexual contact with them. “It’s a case which is a study, in my judgement, in grooming behaviour,” continued the judge.
After the girls rebuffed Green, became upset, and they told him he should not have acted as he did, Green tried to blame them. “That just demonstrates, Graham Green, your warped sense of them.
“You are 37; they were 13.”
Jailing Green for 21 months and refusing to suspend the prison term, Judge Barker added: “I am far from satisfied that you are a genuine prospect for rehabilitation.
“You are in denial about these offences.”…
“The sentence must be served. You are described as a high risk to children of this age so in my judgement there must be a custodial sentence.”
Green will be on the Sex Offender Register for a decade and he will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order, designed to ensure he does not have opportunities to reoffend. He was caught after the girls told somebody about what happened, and it was reported to their parents, who contacted the police.