October 2016

Cornish paedophile jailed for arranging sex with girls online

A convicted sex offender has been jailed for a second time after he used fake social media profiles to groom a series of schoolgirls for sex.

Adam Tilley, 22, from Newquay, Cornwall, was already a registered sex offender when he began talking to the five girls, who were aged 14 or 15 at the time, using a profile of a much younger man called Luke or Lukey Boy.

Heather Hope, for the prosecution, told the sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court that Tilley had built up relationships with the victims and then went on to suggest meeting up to engage in sexual activity.

Tilley previously pleaded guilty to several counts of communicating with girls under the age of 16 while prevented from doing so by a sexual offences prevention order.

The order related to a conviction and prison term received by Tilley in 2014 for causing a child under the age of 16 to engage in penetrative sex.

Ms Hope said: “You were manipulative and set up friendships which led to online relationships which the girls believed were with someone of their own age.

“It built up to the point where you suggested meeting up for sexual activity and you also sent pictures of a penis to the victims. You are a high risk offender.”

The court heard how Tilley met his victims in chat rooms and on social media sites.

Sentencing Tilley, Judge Simon Carr said that he had begun communicating with the victims shortly after being released from prison in early 2015.

Judge Carr said: “The order in place did not stop you from offending and creating a false personality pretending to be much younger.

“Five girls were taken in and believed they were forming a relationship.

“You accept you have a sexual interest in girls aged between 11 and 16 and are unable to control it.”

Tilley was also sentenced for changing address and not notifying the authorities and possessing a handful of Category C images.

He was jailed for a total of four years, of which he must serve half before being released on license.

February 2016

Loner targeted girls on the internet

A LONELY, friendless teenager, who sexually groomed underage girls he met on Facebook before becoming abusive when they refused to comply with his demands has been jailed.

Adam Tilley, 19, targeted three girls aged 13 and 14, befriending them on the social networking site, meeting up with two of them and sexually touching one of them.

Truro Crown Court heard on Friday that Tilley, of Trekinning Holiday Park, St Columb Major, exchanged a series of explicit messages with each of the girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Philip Lee, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the first girl met Tilley through Facebook when she was 14 in August 2012 and she met up with him in Falmouth.

He asked her to have a conversation with him while she performed a sex act but she hung up.

The second girl, who was also 14, received the same request from Tilley after being “lured into an exchange of explicit sexual texts”, Mr Lee said.

“The text messages became sexual; she said that she did not really understand them,” said Mr Lee.

“He started to ask her to meet him but she was unwilling and he then became aggressive in his texts and abusive, accusing her of sleeping around, calling her a slut.”

The third girl was aged 13 when she met Tilley through Facebook in August last year and the pair met up on three or four occasions, engaging in sexual activity during one of those meetings.

“When interviewed he admitted his relationship with that young girl, knowing her age, admitting meeting up with her but initially denied sexual touching,” said Mr Lee.

“When later interviewed he admitted the sexual contact she described and admitted that he was contacting other girls at the same time.”

Terry Eastwood, for the defence, said Tilley had moved to Cornwall in 2010 with his mother and stepfather but had no friends and had turned to Facebook to try to meet people.

He said: “There are some disturbing aspects to his behaviour, namely the threats and targeting of young girls. With respect to him, he is a rather immature 19-year-old and quite a lonely young man.”

Tilley previously admitted meeting one girl following sexual grooming and sexual activity with her.

He also pleaded guilty to causing or inciting two other 14-year-old girls to engage in sexual activity.

Mr Lee said Tilley had been reprimanded by police in 2011 when he was aged 17 for similar behaviour.

Sentencing, Judge John Neligan said: “The courts are here to protect young ladies, even from themselves.

“We are dealing with young adolescent girls who, at that sort of age, for all sorts of reasons, can become infatuated, and if they are led along that path by an older boy then disaster can strike and we are here to protect them.”

Tilley was sentenced to 12 months in a young offenders’ institution and made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order for ten years.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for the same period.