November 2014
The target of a police undercover sting operation into online child grooming has been jailed
Andrew Garth, 60, thought he was chatting with a 14-year-old girl in Whitehaven, engaging her in what police described as “explicit sexual conversation”.
He eventually arranged to meet the young girl, only to discover she was in fact an undercover officer.
He admitted being an adult attempting to meet a girl under-16 following grooming” and two counts of attempting to cause/incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity.
An investigation into his online activity led to him being charged with 17 counts of attempt to cause/incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity. He pleaded guilty to these offences.
Garth, from Hainsworth Moor Drive, Queensbury, Bradford, was today sentenced to two years and eight months in prison and will be the subject to an indefinite sexual offences prevention order. This will restrict his use of the internet once released from prison.
T/Detective Superintendent Rob O’Connor said following the sentencing: “This operation resulted in further enquiries which revealed that Garth had engaged in a number of highly sexualised conversations with teenage girls.
“We undertake these operations to protect young people who use the internet and social media. I hope that Garth’s arrest and sentence acts as a deterrent to those who try to use the internet to engage in illegal sexual activity – we are watching, and we will take action.”
Anyone with any concerns or suspicions around child sexual exploitation should call Cumbria police on 101, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency always dial 999.
