Description
Three men have been jailed for several sexual offences against an underage girl in 2018 after she was groomed over a social media messaging platform.
Today (Thursday 26 June 2025), at Liverpool Crown Court, Michael Linfoot, 24, of Chorley, Callum Hesketh, 24, of Chorley, and Thomas Rae, 24, of Chorley, have been convicted of several sexual offences which took place against an underage girl in the Rivington area of Bolton seven years ago.
On 23 April 2018, Hesketh messaged the victim, who was 15 at the time, via a social media messaging platform asking her to partake in a threesome, but the victim declined.
Over next few weeks Hesketh continued to call and message her. He would then video call her and ask her to pose in different sexual positions for him while he masturbated.
On the evening of 16 June 2018, the victim and her friend got a lift from the Adlington area with Hesketh and Linfoot. The two men picked the two girls up in a white van - which belonged to Linfoot - in exchange for alcoholic drinks.
They drove to Rivington and parked the van where the victim’s friend received a phone call and stepped outside the vehicle. Meanwhile, Hesketh began to have sex with the victim and Linfoot took his penis from his trousers and orally raped her at the same time.
While this was happening, Hesketh recorded the sex acts on his mobile phone and sent them out via a broadcast option on a social media platform with the caption, ‘Gang bang out here’.
The victim heard Hesketh talking on his mobile phone and a short while later three more men arrived on motorbikes.
One of the men, Thomas Rae, approached the van and removed his penis from his trousers and orally raped the victim.
Afterwards, the two girls got into the rear of the van and Hesketh and Linfoot took them back to Adlington and purchased a bottle of wine for them before they drove off.
Following a long and meticulous investigation, the three men who pleaded guilty, have been sentenced for their actions.
Michael Linfoot has been convicted of one count of sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 in Rivington in 2018. He has been sentenced to 11 months in prison, suspended for 12 months.
Thomas Rae has been convicted of one count of sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 in Rivington in 2018. He has been sentenced to 11 months in prison, suspended for 12 months.
Callum Hesketh has been convicted of sending sexualised social media messages to the victim and one count of making indecent videos of a child in Rivington 2018. He has be en sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months.