A child molester, Christopher Oates Stockport Paedophile, who menaced a teenage girl with a firearm in a Manchester alley after a prolonged period of grooming and sexual exploitation in the 2000s has confessed to charges subsequent to a GMP investigation.
Christopher Oates’ criminal activities have ultimately been addressed, as he entered a guilty plea on the fourth day of his trial at Manchester Crown Square Crown Court for three counts.
One count of intentionally causing a 14-year-old girl to be sexually exploited and groomed into prostitution;
One count of intentionally causing a 17-year-old girl to be sexually exploited and groomed into prostitution;
One count of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
He becomes the first offender to be convicted as part of our wide-ranging investigations into non-recent child sexual abuse in Manchester in the 2000s – Operation Green Jacket led by our dedicated Child Sexual Exploitation Major Incident Team.
The court commenced the examination of evidence regarding how Christopher Oates (44), from Stockport and referred to as ‘Nails’ because of his elongated fingernails, manipulated the girls and exploited their susceptibility.
Christopher Oates manipulated one of the girls into believing he was her boyfriend when she was at 14 years old. He would exploit her for sex employment and sell her to other guys.
The victim contacted us in November 2020 following media reports of our arrests during Operation Green Jacket.
She and her friend bravely told us about Oates’ abuse. This video evidence was played in court earlier this week before Oates decided to finally admit his crimes.
Detective Inspector Eleanor Humphrey’s, senior investigating officer for this case, said: “I am so pleased for both women that they have today finally got some justice all these years after this horrific abuse.
“Christopher Oates is a depraved and manipulative paedophile. The abuse he subjected these two girls to was horrific. He was even prepared to try and deny this throughout a trial and make the victims relive it all over again.
“Thankfully, due to the weight of evidence against him, his crimes have finally caught up with him two decades later. This is all thanks to the brave and compelling testimony from the victims, who now have been spared the experience of being cross-examined in court.”
Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker, our lead for public protection and vulnerability said: “Today is a significant day for GMP and its ongoing pursuit of justice for victims of non-recent child sexual abuse.
“Firstly, I commend the bravery of the victims and the meticulous dedication of the investigation team and support services. Together, long-awaited justice has been secured.
“Operation Green Jacket was set up in 2019 to tackle non-recent child exploitation in Manchester in the 2000s. This result is a clear signal we will investigate and we will bring offenders to justice.
“However, we are clear that this is far from over. This operation has a number of live investigations and, with more than 70 arrests, more days like this will follow.
“Time is no barrier to justice in GM. No matter how long ago the abuse, when you are ready we will listen to you.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.