August 2017

Paedophile jailed for grooming a child online has moaned about life behind bars — after his soya milk was stopped

A paedophile jailed for grooming a girl of 13 online has moaned about life in prison after his soya milk was stopped.

Thomas Stephenson-Wade, 38, got 6½ years for five counts of sexual activity with a child.

The pervert from Kirkwood Drive, Kenton, Newcastle, claims Northumberland jail authorities denied him lactose-free milk.

He moaned to prisoner magazine Inside Time: “I have been on a lactose-free diet and the kitchens decided to take me off it.

“They say it was because I ordered something from the menu that was not lactose-free. But it does not tell us on the menu what food is lactose-free and what isn’t.

“My soya milk was stopped (lactose-free) so I could not even have breakfast cereal.”

Meanwhile another prisoner serving time at HMP Littlehey, Cambs, has also moaned about milk – after portions were cut by 11ML.

Prisoner Simpson wrote to Inside Time saying: “The Catering Manual is pretty clear, it says the portion of semi-skimmed milk is 200ml.

“Yet, since April it has been reduced to 189ml – no doubt a brilliant decision by some head-office bod that saves one per cent on the bill by reducing prisoner’s rations by 5.5 per cent.

“I’m sure that deliberately reducing prisoner’s rations below dietary guidance would be viewed as a war-crime if it were done by an enemy.

“How does the Prison Service escape criticism when it deliberately cuts the rations of people who are only on the bare minimum to begin with?”

Stephenson-Wade was 30 when he started grooming the 13-year-old with gifts and flirtatious text messages.

He ignored warnings to stay away from the child and even set up a Facebook profile using a fake name to make it look like the girl had a boyfriend, to try to divert attention.

As well as being jailed, he must sign the sex offenders’ register for life and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.