Terri Cook 38

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A teaching assistant from Bury has been sentenced after pleading guilty to multiple sex offences against a vulnerable boy of primary-school age.

Terri Cook (17/11/1987) of Masefield Avenue, Radcliffe, appeared at Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday, where she was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for eight charges of sexual offences.

In September 2025, officers from our Child Protection Investigation Unit (CPIU) began in intense investigation into Cook after a member of the public reported seeing her out with a young boy. The subsequent investigation showed she had been grooming and manipulating him into engaging in a sexual relationship with her.

Officers found numerous messages on her phone where she had been inciting sexual communications with the boy and holding indecent images of him. Cook was also found to have been buying him expensive items, jewellery, and clothing during their relationship for a period of over nine months.

In a powerful statement to the court, the victim's mum shared:

"He [the victim] was a happy boy who was extremely kind and caring to everyone around him. Despite experiencing traumatic events earlier in his life, he continued to be positive and compassionate. He smiled every day and made us all laugh.

To Miss Cook,

I trusted you. You were in a position of trust and power. Your role was to help children and keep them safe. Instead, you abused your position and harmed [the victim], not once but repeatedly. You knew about his past and deliberately used his vulnerability to your advantage. You have taken so much away from him at such a young age. This will affect his life forever, and it will be him who lives with the consequences of your selfish actions."

The CPIU play a vital role in protecting the children and young people across GM, working tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable members of the community. In the last year, the CPIU have increased their solved outcome rate, up to 14.3%, signifying our continuing work to bring justice to children and young people who have been abused.

Detective Sergeant Adam Stanfield from Bury’s CPIU said:

"I'd firstly like to thank the immense bravery and courage of the victim, throughout these proceedings.

"It is no easy thing to go through, but his and his family's support throughout this case has enabled us to put a sexual predator behind bars.

"This case was a horrific example of calculated abuse of power, and Cook targeted a vulnerable child who put his trust in her.

"Grooming is a form of manipulation that can leave lasting emotional and psychological damage, and our priority remains protecting young people and supporting victims as they recover.

"This sentencing also emphasises our unwavering commitment to protecting male victims. They can be victims too and I urge anyone who believes they may have been through anything similar to please report to us.

"We will always listen. You will always be taken seriously. And we will always take action."