Sep 28 2011

Crewe serial paedophile jailed for seven years

A SERIAL paedophile has been jailed for seven years after admitting grooming young girls on the internet.

Andrew Cobb, of Rochester Crescent in Crewe, appeared before Chester Crown Court yesterday where Judge Elgan Edwards branded him a ‘pervert who preys on innocent children’.

The 34-year-old faced 10 charges, including two of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and one of inciting a child under 13 to do the same.

There was also a charge of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, four of making indecent photos and one of possessing indecent photos.

Cobb was jailed in 2006 for similar behaviour.

On this occasion the crimes date back to 2009. The victims were two girls aged 12 and 14.

Police were tipped off about Cobb’s behaviour by a concerned mother back in 2009 and a long investigation ensued.

Prosecutor Jackie Lamb said: “The first victim was a 14-year-old girl who began communicating with Cobb on her MSN (instant messenger). He was a stranger to her but she added him as a friend.

“She told him she was 15 and he told her he was 16.

“Eventually the girl’s mother intervened and told Cobb he was a pervert and told him to leave her daughter alone.

“But he continued corresponding and making inappropriate comments.

“On one occasion he asked to see photos of her naked and in her underwear.

“The second victim was a 12-year-old from Sunderland.

“He’d ask her questions over MSN about how long she had been single and what sort of guys she went for.

“He asked her what bra size she was and incited her to engage in sexual activity. He also did the same so she could watch him on web cam.”
During the police investigation Cobb’s computers and mobile phone were seized. A number of pictures were seized and four were shown to be categorically indecent images of children.

Kay Driver, defending, said: “The biggest mitigating  factor in this case is that he pleaded  guilty at the first opportunity.

“He has accepted what he  has done. It’s evident from  his offending that he has difficulty in empathising with  his victims. It’s difficult for  him to see matters from their  point of view. But that’s not to say he  doesn’t express remorse. He  wants to address his offending.”

Jailing him for seven years,  four of which will be served  in custody and three on licence, Judge Edwards said:  “I’m quite sure you are dangerous and that you pose a  significant risk of serious  harm to members of the public.

“You have a perverted view  of life in relation to young  girls and the use of the internet.

“If you commit these sorts of  offences again, you will be  jailed for a very long time.”

Cobb is prohibited from  working with children and  will be on the Sex Offenders’  Register for life.

May 2006

Teen groomed on the Internet

A FORMER Winnington man who groomed a Winsford teenager over the Internet before sexually assaulting her has been jailed for 21 months.

Andrew Mark Cobb, 29, who was living at Winnington Avenue at the time of the offences, admitted grooming a child over the Internet for sexual activity, sexual assault on a female under 16 and possession of indecent images of children in June 2005.

In addition to the jail term he was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years and was banned from working with children for life when he appeared at Chester Crown Court on April 24.

Cobb, who now lives in Ash Road, Crewe, met his victim in an Internet chat room.

He asked for the 15-year-old’s mobile phone number and they arranged to meet outside a local supermarket around two weeks after they first started chatting.

He drove the girl to his home where he kissed her and stroked her bottom and legs at which point the scared teenager asked to be taken home.

Cobb kissed the girl again as he dropped her off and asked if she would like to meet again.

The victim told her mother of her ordeal as soon as she arrived home and Cobb was later arrested. A search of his computer uncovered 434 indecent images of children and a large number of stories that featured child abuse.

He claimed he thought the girl was 16 and denied deliberately downloading images of children.

Det Con Simon Newell, who worked on the case, said: “The Internet can be a great learning tool and there’s no doubt it is a valuable resource to many students.

“Unfortunately there are people out there who use the web for far more sinister reasons.

“I’d urge every parent to take an active interest in their child’s use of the Internet. Which sites are they visiting, who are they talking to, and what are they talking about?”