Cameron Preston 27

Description

A ‘malicious and manipulative’ man who launched a two-year campaign of abuse and harassment against a teenage boy has been sentenced to five years and three months behind bars and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Cameron Preston, 27-years-old, of Cherry Tree Crescent in Grimsby, appeared at Grimsby Crown Court on Friday, 13 February 2026 to be sentenced after he pleaded guilty to three counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child, three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, and stalking involving fear of violence. In addition to his custodial sentence, he also received an indefinite restraining order, and a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Preston’s offending began in January 2020, when he met a 15-year-old boy through a social media messaging app falsely claiming he was aged 16, when he was in fact 22.

Through deliberately misrepresenting his age, he continued to gain the teenage boy’s trust over several months and went on to engage in sexual activity with him. Believing they were of a similar age, the victim entered into a relationship with Preston, and only later discovered the extent of his deception.

Between November 2020 to April 2022, the teenage boy was subjected to an orchestrated and intermittent campaign of harassment. This started when an unknown account, who went under the name ‘Connor’, would send him threatening messages and emails telling him he was being watched, and others counting down to when a stranger would arrive at his home. Fearing for his safety, he turned to Preston for help, unaware that he was the person responsible for sending these messages.

During this time, the teenagers home address was repeatedly bombarded with malicious deliveries where random parcels were ordered to his address, along with taxis and takeaway deliveries set to cash payments on arrival, sometimes up to 30 times in a single week.

A fake dating profile was also created in the victim’s name, leading to strangers contacting him, with threats to expose indecent images of him to his family and friends. Whilst all of this was occurring, Preston would repeatedly encourage him not to contact police.

In April 2022, the teenage boy attended a police station to report the harassment after he felt he could no longer endure the torment on his daily life. A detailed investigation was launched by our Protecting Vulnerable People Unit, supported by specialist digital forensic officers, uncovering evidence leading all the offences back to Preston.

Upon arrest, Preston admitted to being responsible for this sustained abuse and was subsequently charged.

Officer in the case, Detective Sergeant Lucy Proctor-Eckley said:

“Preston is a malicious and manipulative individual who deliberately targeted a vulnerable teenage boy and exploited his trust for his own disturbing gratification.

“Over a prolonged period of time, he subjected a teenage boy to a calculated campaign of harassment and intimidation leaving him in constant fear, all while presenting himself as a source of support.

“The extensive evidence uncovered in this investigation showed Preston was responsible for creating false identities, arranging malicious deliveries and attempting to isolate the victim from seeking help, all in an effort to maintain control.

"I would like to commend the victim for the immense courage he has shown in coming forward and supporting this investigation. I hope Preston’s sentencing provides some level of reassurance that he can no longer cause harm and sends a clear message to anyone committing these types of offences, it is never acceptable to prey on anyone, and we will always do everything we can to bring offenders to justice for their crimes.”