An online Mansfield Paedophile sexual predator, Christopher Collinge, who exploited computer games to groom and abuse a susceptible 11-year-old kid has been incarcerated.
Christopher Collinge, aged 33, cultivated a friendship with the youngster through a shared passion for computer games, then coercing him into sharing sexual photographs in exchange for credits to his PlayStation account.
Christopher Collinge was uncovered when the youngster’s father was notified of virtual transactions conducted by the boy, who possessed no personal funds.
He subsequently uncovered a sequence of sexualised communications exchanged between the victim and his perpetrator on the Discord application, a communication site favoured by gamers.
Christopher Collinge, fully cognisant of the boy’s actual age, had instructed him to feign being 13 years old to download the application.
Christopher Collinge subsequently provided virtual gift cards in exchange for the fulfilment of a series of more serious “dares” over several weeks.
Information was relayed to Nottinghamshire Police, resulting in Christopher Collinge’s arrest in February 2023.
A later examination of his mobile phone and hard drive uncovered several hundred photographs of child sexual exploitation, with fifty percent classified as Category A.
Christopher Collinge provided non-responsive responses during his police interrogation but subsequently pleaded guilty to two counts of causing or persuading a minor under 13 to engage in sexual behaviour, two counts of producing indecent images, and four counts of possessing indecent photographs.
Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday 6 May, Christopher Collinge, of Clifton Place, Mansfield, was jailed for four years.
He was also added to the sex offenders’ register and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order that will tightly restrict his online activities and access to children when he is released.
Detective Constable Jason Jenkins, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Christopher Collinge is a predatory offender who deliberately targeted and groomed a vulnerable child for his own sexual gratification.
“Using the internet alone he was effectively able to gain access to a child’s bedroom and bribe him into performing sexual acts.
“Despite being well aware of his victim’s true age, he cynically manipulated him over several weeks in order to receive sexualised images from him.
“But for the timely intervention of the boy’s father, this abuse could have been even more serious
“So as Christopher Collinge begins his sentence, I hope this case serves as a warning to other parents about the danger people like Christopher Collinge can pose to their children via the internet.”
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