A convicted Chesterton Paedophile, Gary Cookson, who ‘manipulated’ circumstances to be alone with a naked toddler has been incarcerated.
Gary Cookson’s fiancée abandoned him with her small son, who referred to him as ‘dada’ following his deceit on his troubled history.
She was oblivious to the fact that he was a convicted sex offender previously apprehended with child sexual abuse imagery [Editor’s Note: If she had rung the police and asked for him to be checked under Sarah’s Law they would have refused so there is no way she could have done anything more than search for his name online].
The father of two violated a court order issued during his last court appearance in 2023.
The Crown Court of Stoke-on-Trent was informed that Gary Cookson dried and clothed the two-and-a-half-year-old child while left alone with him by his girlfriend.
It was a violation of a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
His activities indicated that he had also violated the notification requirements of the sex offenders register.
This occurred between January 1 and February 12, 2024, when he commenced a new relationship and failed to inform the police as mandated.
On February 15, he accessed applications from which he had been prohibited.
The authorities confiscated his phone, which contained the Snapchat application.
But he had not told police of his Snapchat user name which he was required to do.
Gary Cookson then failed to comply with his notification requirements when he did not tell police he was staying in a house with a 17-year-old child for 12 hours or more.
He also deleted a TikTok message, the court heard.
The paedophile also breached his SHPO by deliberately concealing a mobile phone.
Rashad Mohammed, defending, Gary Cookson ‘found himself in a lonely state’. {Editor’s Note – so????]
He said: “He felt he was isolated. He went on to Snapchat. He activated an account.
“The matters spiralled out of control. He failed to stop to assess the consequences of his behaviour.
“There is no evidence of any actual harm done. His phone was interrogated. There is no suggestion there was any material that would cause the authorities any concern.
“At the time he showed a great deal of immaturity. He failed to properly recognise the seriousness of the court order.
“He does ask me to express to you his regret and his remorse.
“He has been in custody since October 24, the equivalent of just over 10 months.
“It has been a real eye-opener for him . It has been a wake-up call for him, the level of violence he has seen in person.”
Mr Mohammed told the court that Cookson comes from a respectable family.
Sentencing, Recorder Robert Smith said: “You knew full well what you were not allowed to do.
“Your primary sexual interest seems to be with female children.
“The risk of harm was extremely real and significant when you were drying off a naked two-and-a-half year old.
“You were extremely persistent in the way you flouted the regulations.
“You manipulated your way into a position of trust in a family home with an infant child.
“You need to learn a lesson. You need to learn to abide by the terms of the order or you will be sent to prison.”
The judge made a deprivation order for the devices seized.
Gary Cookson admitted two counts of breaching a SHPO and four counts of failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders register.
The defendant, of Talke Road, Chesterton, was jailed for two-and-a-half years.
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