Man jailed for grooming Lancashire teenager

Carl Thomas admitted a number of sexual offences

Author: Louisa KingPublished 12th Sep 2023

A MAN who groomed and sexually abused a teenage girl has been jailed.

Carl Thomas (12/01/1984) admitted four counts of sexual activity to a child, two of making indecent photographs of a child, three charges of possession of indecent photograph of a child and one of witness intimidation.

Thomas (pictured), of Albert Street, Todmorden appeared at Preston Crown Court on August 8 and was jailed for six years and given a lifetime sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

The offences happened in Bacup in 2022.

In a victim personal statement, the girl, who can’t be identified for legal reasons, said the abuse had turned her world upside down and left her feeing guilty and ashamed and blaming herself for what had happened.

Det Con Lois Turner, from Lancashire Police’s Child Protection Team, said: “Thomas groomed and then abused his teenage victim for his own sexual gratification, and I welcome this sentence.

“I would like to commend this victim for having the bravery to come forward and report what happened, and I hope that this might give others the courage to do the same, safe in the knowledge that we will investigate professionally and sensitively.”

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