Dangerous sexual predator abused 15-year-old girl and said he would marry her

Jack Parker, formerly known as Adam Carling, from Blackpool, had sex with the 15-year-old in an alleyway in Warrington and at his flat in Blackpool in December.

He told police he was 'sexually attracted to female children'.

The 32-year-old also breached his sexual harm prevention order put in place by Preston Crown Court in 2018 after he groomed an undercover police officer whom he believed was a 13-year-old girl.

He was sent to jail for 30 months for this offence and also served 10 months in 2016 for making and possessing indecent images of children.

He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday after being charged with 11 offences, pleading guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child and also admitted meeting a child after grooming and breach of a previous sexual harm prevention order.

The remaining offences will lie on file.

Parker met the teenager through Instagram and the pair began messaging.

This stopped when the girl's mum discovered the messages and phoned the police.

However, the case was closed after the messages were deleted.

Nicola Daley, prosecuting, said: "This case came to light when the victim's mother phoned police in January and said her daughter had been involved in sexual activity with a man.

"Her mum had discovered a mobile phone which she had not bought her daughter.

"The messaged on the phone caused her concern.

"The defendant had visited the girl at her home in Warrington on December 22 after the girl had returned from a school trip.

"He knew she was 15 and they had discussed her school uniform.

"She climbed out of her bedroom window at around 11pm to meet him in an alleyway and he gave her a sweatshirt and a mobile phone.

"The girl then went back outside in the early hours of the morning and they had sex in the alleyway."

Two days later Parker sent the girl a video of him masturbating and then returned to her home on December 28.

She snuck out of her room again and he drove her to his flat in Blackpool.

The girl told police how anxious she had been about leaving home but when she had settled the pair had sex again.

In her mobile, Parker was saved as 'Fiance' and he spoke about wanting to marry her, saying he would take her away from her family.

The pair exchanged more than 13,000 Whatsapp messages and intended to meet again but the girl's mum then discovered the new mobile phone.

In a victim personal statement, the girl's mum said her family had been 'broken' by the incident.

She said: "My daughter's childhood been taken away."

Her mum went on to say how it has left her with depression and she feels she as failed in her duty towards her daughter as she was 'not able to protect her'.

He was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court

In a statement read out in court, the girl said she feels 'confusion and guilt' as she thought the love she had for Jack Parker was real.

The now 16-year-old said: "I feel guilty as I should have told my parents what was happening.

"I have some anger at Jack as he lied to me, I have been left feeling anxious and insecure."

Before the girl was interviewed by police, Parker contacted her and said: "We'll both go through hell for this, they don't know how much we love each other."

He then said if she wanted to marry him he would 'take her away from her family as soon as he could'.

Anthony Parkinson, defending, said: "These are clearly serious offences and the defendant recognises that.

"I hope that when he is released from prison that he is in a position where his thought process and actions are different than they are today.

"He is still young and can turn his life around.

"There is limited mitigation.

"When the pair were introduced through social media, he was told the girl was 18 and a few weeks later he learned of her true age.

"But that doesn't excuse what happened after."

Judge David Aubrey called Parker a 'dangerous, persistent sexual predator' when sentencing.

He said: "You were released from prison in February last year for sexual crimes and in July you began a relationship with a 15-year-old girl.

"You built up a relationship, gained your victim's trust and gained her emotions.

"You engaged in sexual activity and you had done so so that you could manipulate and sexually abuse her, albeit that wasn't her perception.

"You befriended and groomed her in order to abuse her.

"You are a dangerous, persistent sexual predator."

He was handed a special custodial sentence of nine years and four months, which comprises of a custodial term of five years and four months and an extended licence period of four years due to the seriousness of the crimes.

Parker has also been banned from Winwick Road and a restraining order is in place to protect the girl and her family.

WHAT DID POLICE SAY >

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective constable Laura Gilbert, of Warrington CID, said: “This has been a complex and lengthy investigation which ultimately uncovered Parker's despicable behaviour.

“It was apparent throughout the investigation that Parker is a sexual predator who preyed on a vulnerable young girl and had no regard for the effects his actions would have on the victim or her family.

“When interviewed, Parker showed no remorse and failed to account for his actions.

“Those actions were premeditated and devious.

“It is clear from reviewing the evidence in the case that Parker knew what he was doing was wrong, and that he went to great lengths to conceal his behaviour.

“I am pleased that this case has been brought to a swift conclusion for the sake of the victim and her family and I hope that Parker uses this time in prison to reflect on the devastating effects his actions have had.

“I would like to thank the victim for showing such bravery throughout this investigation, and her family for the support they have provided, both to their daughter and the investigation throughout. This has greatly assisted the police in bringing Parker to justice and helped to safeguard the wider community going forward.

“I also hope this case and the sentence that Parker has received encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us. We treat reports of sexual offences extremely seriously, and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority.”

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Parker’s devious methods to groom a teenager and attempt to disguise his actions all started with contact on social media, and show just how dangerous these platforms can be.

“Proper regulation of these sites is vital to ensure sexual predators like Jack Parker are prevented from accessing young and vulnerable people, and we continue to urge the Government to introduce a powerful Online Harms Bill to ensure social media companies can be held to account and create a safer internet for children.”