January 2016

Pervert made covert film of girl on bus

A convicted child sex offender who covertly filmed young girls and made lewd comments has been jailed after police found a compilation of clips on his phone.

Andrew Threappleton, 48, made sickening suggestions to two schoolgirls, aged 12 and 13, on a bus in Cleveleys, Preston Crown Court heard.

He was arrested after a police appeal and officers who seized his phone found a catalogue of disturbing footage of other girls and young women.

Threappleton, of no fixed abode, admitted inciting a child to commit a sexual act and two counts of outraging public decency. He was jailed for 18 months.

The court heard the 48-year-old, whose last known address was in Blackpool, was arrested in May after a photo of him appeared in The Gazette following the incident on the bus on April 21. He has been in jail ever since.

When police went through his phone they found evidence of 11 incidents, six of which were deemed criminal offences.

He could be heard on the footage making lurid comments with the camera trained on his victims’ legs and cleavages.

Judge Andrew Woolman described the behaviour as ‘worrying’. He added: “You deliberately sat behind two girls who were young.

“You were muttering to yourself sexual comments – but some were directed at the girls. I accept by and large you were doing this for the gratification of saying it and the joy of filming it but not believing at any point the girls would do what you asked them to.”

The court heard Threappleton had previous convictions, including child abduction. Jacob Dyer, prosecuting, said the 48-year-old got on the bus after the young girls, who got on near Lauderdale Avenue, who were sitting on the top deck, which was ‘fairly empty’.

He added: “He chose to sit just behind the 12-year-old and he started to mutter things to her, things like ‘get your breasts out’ and ‘have you got your knickers on?’ He had been filming one of the girl’s legs, filming covertly. He can be heard making indecent comments on that footage.”

In a prepared statement, he denied he had said anything.

One of the counts of outraging public decency relates to a clip from January last year where he follows a schoolgirl and tells her to lift up her skirt and ‘show her panties’. The second relates to a clip of two women to whom he makes disgusting remarks to about sniffing them.

Defending, Anthony Longworth said: “He has accepted comments were to be heard by the girls and would inevitably be distressing.”

In 2001, Threappleton was jailed for nine months by Leeds Crown Court for abducting a 14-year-old girl he met in a school playground.

He groomed her and they ended up spending the night together but Threappleton, who admitted child abduction, denied they had sex.

He was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order banning him using filming equipment on buses.

October 2001

Jail for abducting a 14-year-old girl

A 34-year-old father has been jailed for abducting a 14-year-old girl with whom he started a relationship after meeting her in a school playground.

Leeds Crown Court heard how Andrew Threappleton took the girl on shopping trips and showered her with gifts.

Her parents tried to intervene when they discovered she and Threappleton, of Wilson Ward Street, Batley, were regularly taking canalside walks and trips to the local park.

Prosecutor Nicholas Lumley said that despite attempts to separate them, the friendship deepened when she failed to return on the evening of July 9 and the couple spent the night together.

Her frantic parents reported her missing to police after they received a telephone call from their daughter to say she was safe, but would not be coming home.

Threappleton, who admitted child abduction, told officers they had stayed overnight in “a den” by a canalside but he and the girl denied having sex.

Felicity Davies, for Threappleton, said leaflets branding him a paedophile had been posted to his neighbours and displayed on lampposts near his home.

Mrs Davies said he had been victimised by the girl’s family, even though the relationship was one of mutual affection.

“She was a girl who developed a crush on Mr Threappleton, developed some considerable affection and wished a relationship to develop. It was he who indicated to the girl that their relationship was limited by the law.”

Judge Kerry MacGill, sentencing him to nine months, said: “You must have realised that this relationship was entirely inappropriate. Even if she did have a crush on you, you are a responsible adult and should have kept her at arm’s length.

“There is no evidence brought before this court that anything sexual occurred between you and this girl but you did take advantage of her in the emotional sense.

“You must have also caused extreme anguish to her parents, who were probably wondering what was happening on the night in question.

“At the age of 14 this girl was a child and it is the job of this court to protect children.”

The girl’s mother said afterwards: “Obviously we are relieved that he has been sent to prison but we didn’t feel like nine months was anywhere near what he deserved.

“My daughter is now afraid to leave the house and has been completely traumatised.”