Man jailed for child porn and abuse
A man’s been jailed for sexually exploiting a child and owning thousands of indecent images in Leigh.
41 year old Keith Forster of Hope Street, Leigh pleaded guilty to ten counts of Indecent Images of Children and sexual activity with a child under 13.
Forster was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today, to 11 years in prison.
In July last year, officers from Greater Manchester Police executed a warrant at Forster’s home and seized his computer.
After forensic examination, officers from the Organised Crime Intelligence Unit discovered thousands of indecent images of children on his computer.
Further investigation uncovered that Forster had sexually assaulted a 7 year-old girl and also taken indecent photographs of her.
Forster was arrested and later charged with 10 offences of Indecent Images of children and sexual activity with a child under 13.
Detective Constable Daniel King of GMP’s Wigan division said:
“Keith Forster was a calculating individual who groomed a young girl’s family over a considerable period of time in order to sexually abuse their young girl. The extent of his predatory crimes were uncovered when officers searched his home and discovered thousands of indecent images of children on his computer including those of the victim.
“I hope the sentence passed today will send a clear message that GMP will not tolerate any form of child sexual exploitation and we, along with our partners, will continue to support victims and investigate all reports that are made.
“I would like to thank the family for the unbelievable support they have given to us, and the bravery they have shown throughout the whole of this investigation.
“Tackling the sexual exploitation of children and young people is an absolute priority for Greater Manchester Police, but protecting them is the responsibility of us all. It is crucial that we work together to identify individuals who prey on vulnerable children and empower young people to speak up.”
Project Phoenix is a multi-agency response to CSE across the whole of Greater Manchester. The project brings together police, local authorities, NHS and third sector organisations, using their collective expertise to safeguard vulnerable young people at risk of exploitation and target those who would try to exploit them.