Paul Lipscombe 51

Description

A man from a rural Leicestershire village has been jailed after carrying out a string of sexual offences against girls he groomed on Snapchat.

Paul Lipscombe, 51, from Rothley, was sentenced for a total of 34 crimes against six girls – aged between 12 and 15 – after targeting them via the social media app.

An extensive police investigation, being carried by a team of dedicated detectives, is working to uncover the true extent of his offending after identifying six girls he had abused from across the country.  

After gaining their trust, Lipscombe would arrange to meet with the girls in private locations where he would commit acts of rape and sexual assault.

With the use of AI technology, he was also found to be creating and distributing indecent images of children.

Today (Tuesday 11 November), at Leicester Crown Court, he was sentenced to 28 years and one month imprisonment after pleading guilty in February.

He has also been place on the sex offenders register for life. A restraining order had also been issued – preventing him from contacting the victims.

Police investigation

The gravity of Lipscombe’s offending first came to light to police in April 2024 after concerns were raised in Lincolnshire in relation to a missing 15-year-old girl.

Swift action by police led officers to discover the girl was at an address in Leicestershire with Lipscombe and he was initially arrested on suspicion of kidnap.

After the girl was taken to a place of safety she disclosed to police she had been raped.

The case was handed to detectives working Leicestershire Police’s dedicated Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU).

As the investigation progressed it became evident other offences against the girl had occurred and the defendant had also been in contact with other girls - using several different Snapchat accounts.  

As well as using his own name during these interactions, he also went by the names of ‘Dom Woodmore’ and ‘George’ when contacting girls.

Over the course of 10 months, detectives worked tirelessly to identify other girls he had been in contact with to establish if any offences had occurred.

Following this work a further five girls from across the country were subsequently identified and spoken to. If was clear from evidence on his phone and other devices that Lipscombe had been engaging in sexual activity with these girls also.

The offences against the six girls identified took place between September 2023 and April 2024.

When initially contacting the girls Lipscombe had told them he was in his late 20s or early 30s. Five of the six girls had met with him and been raped or sexually assaulted.

One of the girls, who was aged 14 at the time of his offending, had been communicating with him online. Lipscombe had been trying to encourage her to meet him.

She has chosen to speak out and tell her story:

Detailed examination of his devices and online storage accounts also uncovered a significant number of indecent images of children. Further investigation revealed Lipscombe had been creating many of these images using AI software.

He had also set up a website where others could buy illegal images of children and could pay him to create images for them using AI.

The investigation into Lipscombe’s offending remains ongoing.

Officer in the case, Detective Constable Lauren Speight from the CAIU, said:

“Lipscombe has been using Snapchat as a way to meet underage girls. He was able to groom them and persuade them to meet with him so he could carry out these horrendous crimes.

“Following a detailed examination of his devices, I was presented with the overwhelming amount of evidence relating to his conversations and encounters with these girls.

“When reviewing his electronic devices and online storage accounts, they contained a significant amount of illegal material which included both AI generated images and images of real children being abused. The software for creating the AI material was located on his computer.

“Not only was Lipscombe creating these images, but he was also found to have several online social media accounts and a personalised website, specifically for advertising access to these images at a cost.

“Our investigation into the offending carried out by this man is continuing. We suspect he may have been in contact with other girls and could well have committed sexual offences against others. We would urge anyone who has been in contact with him to contact us. We are specially trained to speak to children who may have been victims of similar offences.

“I would also like to praise the girls and their families for supporting our investigation during what has been an extremely difficult and distressing 18 months. It is thanks to them that Lipscombe is now behind bars and unable to prey on children anymore.”

In February, Paul Lipscombe pleaded guilty to a total of 34 offences:

• 21 counts of sexual activity with a child
• Six counts of making indecent photographs of children
• Three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13
• Two counts of rape of a child under 13
• One count of causing or indicting a child to engage in sexual activity
• One count of distributing indecent photographs of children

DC Speight added:

“Offenders like Lipscombe go to extreme lengths to manipulate and exploit children. This type of grooming and abuse can occur both online but also in person and often those being exploited don’t realise they are victims; they believe they are in a loving consensual relationship.

“We need to do all we can to keep children safe from those who want to cause them serious harm. In cases like these we often see victims being given money, gifts or even drugs or alcohol in exchange for engaging in sexual activity. We also often see that victims are made to feel special and thrive on the attention they are given. For many children and young people, it is having someone who they believe is there for them and cares about them.

“This of course is not the reality, and it is crucial everyone is aware of the issue and knows the signs to look out for.”