A Sheffield Paedophile, William Grassby, who planned to meet an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old boy for sexual purposes has been incarcerated.
William Grassby received a two-year sentence at Sheffield Crown Court today (Thursday, 9 March) after confessing to numerous charges concerning sexual conversations with minors.
William Grassby was discovered through two sting operations, one conducted by the police and the other by civilians.
The 47-year-old had been communicating with the initial decoy, whom he presumed to be 14, for a week prior to scheduling a sexual encounter at Meadowhall, Sheffield.
William Grassby also established a friendship with an undercover police officer, who was masquerading as a 12-year-old boy, on social media. He initiated the transmission of numerous sexual messages to the child, enquiring about his sexual preferences and proposing a meeting for sexual intercourse.
Subsequent to his arrest, William Grassby’s electronic devices were confiscated, revealing his involvement in numerous sexual chats with alleged minors.
He faced two charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a minor and one allegation of attempting to meet a lad under the age of 16 after grooming. He submitted a guilty plea on 16 February prior to being incarcerated today.
Investigating officer Sarah Anderson stated: William Grassby is an exceedingly depraved individual with reprehensible intentions towards children.
William Grassby was aware of the children’s ages, and we possess screenshots of messages in which he coordinates meetings with them away from the surveillance of CCTV.
This is undoubtedly alarming for parents and guardians of young children, especially those active on social media. If you suspect whom your child is communicating with online, I encourage you to reach out to us.
William Grassby, previously residing at Spring Close View, has been subjected to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. He will also be on the sex offenders’ registry for ten 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.