Darwen Paedophile Gary Lee Roberts was caught trying to speak to young boys on social media. He was given a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) by Burnley Crown Court in May 2017 after being convicted of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.
Police visited the 44-year-old’s supported accommodation in February 2018 and an examination of his mobile phone showed that he had been chatting with ‘various males’ on Kik Messenger and some was ‘sexualised chat’.
Officers made enquiries with Kik Messenger and found that Gary Lee Roberts’ account had been used to join a friends group for 12-to-14-year-old children.
He pretended to be a 14-year-old boy with a 31-year-old boyfriend.
Gary Lee Roberts, now of Darwen, pleaded guilty to breaching the SHPO and was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for two years with a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a five-week curfew.
Gary Lee Roberts was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.
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.