After trying to meet with a 15-year-old lad for sex, dangerous Stoke-on-Trent Paedophile Callum Townsend has been imprisoned, seeking to entice his victim into meeting him; the 32-year-old male with a history of sexual offences passed for a 20-year-old lady called Amy.
The crime occurred soon after his release from custody on parole. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court also heard he used other aliases and urged a 15-year-old lad to forward pictures of himself.
Now assessed as a dangerous offender, Callum Townsend has been sentenced to a 10-year enhanced jail term to safeguard the public.
Hunter Grey, the prosecutor, claimed the defendant was imprisoned on three offences of inducing a child to participate in sexual behaviour, sexual activity with a child, and failing to comply with custody. Grey said this 38 months in 2021. Callum Townsend was placed on the sex offenders’ register and became the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for life.
November 18, 2022, marks his release on licence. But on March 12 last year, police visited Callum Townsend’s house, and he was ordered to turn over his Acer laptop and iPhone.
“The defendant had accessed many programs not displayed on his phone – gaming apps, CryptoCurrency apps, a drop box cloud app, and Telegram Messenger.
“Look at his phone; between February 9 and March 2, 2023, he had been messaging a 15-year-old lad. The messages have been removed. The defendant went as Amy, a 20-year-old woman. The lad informed him he still attended school and was fifteen years old—the defendant requested pictures of him.
“He forwarded a video showing a couple engaged in sexual activity. He asked the lad whether he had a safer program called Telegram. They set up to get together for a sexual encounter. The defendant forwarded the lad pictures of a woman. He assumed the persona of Amy.
The victim sent a picture of his lower half after Callum Townsend asked the youngster to forward him one. Callum Townsend persisted and urged him to remove his shorts. Mr Grey said: “It was an infringement of the SHPO to be in correspondence with someone under sixteen. He made plans to meet someone under sixteen for a sexual encounter.”
The defendant messaged someone under another alias and sent photographs of a blonde woman, pushing the recipient to send images of herself. She then asked to be added to Snapchat with an account named Nevexx200.
Callum Townsend, of no fixed address, entered a guilty plea to two counts of violating a SHPO, planning the conduct of a child sexual offence, and neglecting to follow the notification requirements of the sex offenders’ registry.
Robert Holt, mitigating, admitted Townsend has a “significant record of similar problems’. The defendant confessed at the first chance, he claimed. Following his arrest, he was recalled to prison under licence.
He claimed the offending period was “relatively short.” Mr Holt remarked: “I have to admit the young person was 15, quite an age discrepancy, and the person was a child rather than a decoy, and there were further concerns related to his autism and ADHD. He acknowledges there is a component of grooming and used it to try to get pictures.”
Mr. Holt claimed Callum Townsend had not had access to any approved programs. Said: “He is happy to comply with the Horizon (sex offender) programme and has put his time in custody to good use, completing the first year of an Open University degree in business management.”
Mr Holt said, “He accepts his behaviour is inappropriate, and he accepts there needs to be some considerable change in his behaviour and outlook.” He seems to be on a whirl-around schedule. He is preparing for discharge and hopefully won’t return before court.”
Judge Graeme Smith warned Callum Townsend: “Upon your release on licence, there was a swift and disturbing return to some of the activity. You corresponded with a 15-year-old lad online while acting as a younger female. You spoke with others under another identity, Neve.
“You were also suggesting to meet with the lad for sexual activities while there was an attempt to get sexual photographs. You were a 32-year-old man, not Amy, twenty years old. You are attracted sexually to teenage lads. You also urged the lad to gather others to support what was happening.
“You qualify as a dangerous offender. You are drawn to children sexually and preoccupied with them. This occurred a few weeks following your release from prison.”
Five years of custody plus five years of extended licence make up the extended sentence. Before he may be considered for release, he must serve two-thirds of the custodial element.
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