Thomas Hall 34

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A man has been jailed after he used social media to prey on young girls for sex.

Thomas Hall, from Salford, exploited his victims 'purely to satisfy his own twisted sexual desires' and even offered some of them money to find him someone younger, police said. He was also found with dozens of indecent images and videos of children on his phone.

Officers first started probing the 34-year-old in November 2020 after a 12-year-old girl received 'sexual communications' from a man in east Cheshire on WhatsApp. Police linked the messages to Hall and his former home in Cheshire was raided.

He was arrested and police seized a number of mobiles and devices. Cheshire Police said officers found more than 30 incident pictures of children, as well as 30 indecent images.

Seven 'extreme pornographic' images and videos and a bestiality video were also uncovered. Investigations revealed that Hall had been communicating with his victims using fake identities including a woman called ‘Alex’ and a teenage boy called ‘Jack’.

Police said he would 'tell them fake stories' and manipulate them into sending him indecent images. Following an investigation, Hall was arrested and charged.

At Manchester Crown Court yesterday (October 24), Hall, of Rolling Street, Salford, was jailed for 11 years - plus three years on extended licence. He admitted four counts of engaging in sexual communications with a child and four counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

"He has shown no regard for his victims and no remorse"

He also pleaded guilty to four counts of making indecent images of a child and facilitating the commission of a child sex offence. Following his sentencing, Detective Constable Peter Taylor, who led the investigation, said: "Hall is a predator, he is manipulative, and used his age and experience to prey on young girls purely to satisfy his own twisted sexual desires.

"He has shown no regard for his victims and no remorse for his actions. His offending only came to an end when he was arrested by our officers.

"While none of the victims will ever be able to forget what happened to them, I hope that Hall’s conviction and the sentence handed to him will provide them with some closure." DC Taylor added: "Sexual abuse can happen anywhere at any time and the impact can be lifechanging.

"Therefore, its vital that parents and guardians engage with their children to warn them of the dangers of communicating with people via social media. It also important to check that they are using those applications safely and to keep an eye out for any warning signs of sexual exploitation.

"I hope that Hall’s convictions and sentencing encourages anyone who has been subjected to similar offending to report it to the police. They should feel confident that they will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers and other support agencies we work alongside.

"All victims will be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, and any allegations will be taken extremely seriously and thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and the needs of the victim as our main priority."

Hall was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life. He was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order.